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: #AuthorLife

#AuthorLife by Joe Zagets
My rating: 5 of 5 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

#AuthorLife by Joe Zagets is a dark tale, full of surprising revelations and twists.  It is also a fun, entertaining and satirical look at the publishing industry from the perspective of Mackenzie "Mack" Lane, a down on his luck author, who's hiding the extent of his financial difficulties from his wife, his extended family and his friends. While he had some success with his debut thriller years ago, his more recent books were received with much less enthusiasm and commercial success. The lower sales, along with some poor financial decisions, have left Mack on the brink of bankruptcy. 

Desperate to boost sales and fulfill his dream of being seen as an "important" author, he comes up with a plan (his "Daring Scheme") to increase the buzz around his upcoming novel, and enlists the help of his agent, who reluctantly agrees. Mack knows his plan will cause pain and anguish to his wife and teenage son, but rationalizes that the reward will outweigh the cost in the long run. 

I loved the book, although I must admit that I really didn't like the main character very much. It seems like every time he did something that might help someone else he had an ulterior motive. EVERY. SINGLE. TIME! And to say that he doesn't make the best choices given his situation is a vast understatement... I found myself going between feeling slightly sorry for him, then thinking maybe he might have some redeeming virtues, and eventually just wanting to give him a (proverbial) slap across the face while shouting, in the words of Will Rogers, "When you find yourself in a hole, STOP DIGGING!".

#AuthorLife is a fictionalized, "behind the curtain" look at the publishing industry and some of the challenges authors and agents have, and the lengths to which they might go to give their books the best chance of success. It was fascinating and thought provoking, irreverent and, especially in the later chapters, a roller coaster thrill-ride!   

Many thanks to Bad Hand Books for providing an eARC to review. #AuthorLife releases on Sept 22, 2026.

Review: In Their Eyes

In Their Eyes by Simon F. Godin
My rating: 5 of 5 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

I've gotta tell ya, In Their Eyes by Simon F. Godin, is creepy as hell! This is also his debut novel. Let that sink in for a moment... This is a debut novel. HIS VERY FIRST ONE. The book is so well-paced, so well-written and so riveting, it feels like it came from a seasoned author with a massive back catalog of books to his credit. 

Grace Boone - Gracie to her few friends - is a freshman student at Elora University in Winding River. While not a large city, it's much larger than her hometown of Caldmore, Ontario, where she's lived with her police chief father, Hank, all her life. Moving into her residence hall marks her first time away from her hometown and her father, and she's hoping to fit in and find new friends as she majors in Psychology. 

While it's been a (long) while since I went to college, I think Bodin captured the excitement, and anxiety, of moving away from home for the first time and trying to find your place, and your people, in a new environment. Unlike my own experience, however, Gracie Boone experiences a series of unsettling events, beginning with a mysterious hooded figure watching her room from the parking lot at night, and continuing with discoveries that trigger an identity crisis, and have her questioning how safe and secure she really is. She even begins to have doubts about the people around her, including Raven, her roommate and closest friend, and starts wondering who she can really trust as her life begins to unravel around her. 

The story alternates between first person journal entries and third person narration, which works really well. We get to share Gracie's thoughts, her fears and anxieties, as she struggles to find independence, while also maintaining long distance relationships with both her father and her boyfriend, and we get to see the impact of events as they happen to and around her. This is incredibly effective in ratcheting up the tension as the story unfolds.

I'm not a book critic. I'm not a professional book reviewer. I didn't major in Literature in college. As the blog description says, I'm just a reader. Yet when I say that In Their Eyes is absolutely INCREDIBLE, I mean it. This is a tale full of surprises and shocking revelations that made it difficult to put down at night. It captivated me from the very first page. It was dark, creepy, suspenseful and disturbing, making me question who could be trusted, and what the actual truth was.   

If I hadn't known from the outset that this was Godin's debut novel I would immediately be looking to get my hands on the other books he'd written. As it stands, I'll have to wait. But I don't have to be patient about it!!! Where's your next book, Simon??? 

Thanks to the author for offering to send me the eARC of In Their Eyes to review ahead of its publication on September 1, 2026. 

Highly Recommended 

Review: The Extra

The Extra by Annie Neugebauer
My rating: 5 of 5 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

   I scrub my hands over my face beneath my hood, breathe slowly into my damp palms-mustn't seem annoyed to the participants-and walk to a different spot to get a new view of the area. 

   I get ten plus me again. It's not a mistake. There are eleven people here right now. 

   There's an extra.

-- Annie Neugebauer, The Extra

10 people get out of a van and set out on a university-sponsored camping/hiking trip. That evening 11 people arrive at the campsite ... only Matt, the leader, and his 2 assistants realize there is an additional person, but since they recognize and have memories of each and every person in the group, none of them can tell which one it is. 

The Extra is Annie Neugebauer's first book in The Outsiders Sequence and is set in a remote, forested area in Arkansas. The story is told from Matt's perspective as he tries to keep the camping neophytes safe while he struggles with the questions raised by the appearance of the extra: how did they join the group without anyone else realizing it, and why? Which member of the group IS the extra? And, most important of all, what are they going to do about it? 

As the story unfolds the leaders try to unravel the mystery of the extra, and you can feel the tension increase as Matt tries to master his own panic and uncertainty about what to do to keep the group safe.

The Extra is a gem. It doesn't have (or need!) jump-scares, physical violence or gore; what it offers is a suspense-filled, psychological thriller/mystery tale set in a wonderfully atmospheric location. It should be on your TBR pile along with The Other, the second (but standalone) book in Neugebauer's The Outsiders Sequence. 

Review: Stretch-Neck: A Veil Story

Stretch-Neck: A Veil Story by Jonathan Janz
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Stretch-Neck: A Veil Story by Jonathan Janz is a fantastic short story, released as a limited edition chapbook, that provides background of one of the main characters in his ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ sci-fi/thriller/horror tale Veil.

Although connected, readers don't have to have read Veil to appreciate the suspense and action of Stretch-Neck

My review of Veil can be found here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

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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: What Boys Learn

What Boys Learn by Andromeda Romano-Lax
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

WHAT BOYS LEARN by Andromeda Romano-Lax is a suspenseful ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ psychological thriller being released in Jan, 2026 by Soho Press.

Single mother and high school counselor Abby Russo deals with the aftermath of the deaths of two students, and learns that her loner son Benjamin may have known the girls better than she realizes. As she finds out more about the circumstances of their deaths she begins to worry that Benjamin may have been involved in some way.

Abby has always been concerned about how her son was growing up. Worried that he was a loner who didn't fit in, and worried about what he was learning about how men should treat women. She knows something about troubled teens. She had been one herself and still carries the scars of her first-hand experiences with the actions of a teenage boy with little concern for others. Her older brother Ewan has spent many years in prison for his actions as a teenager, and she fears that Benjamin might be headed down a similar path.

Can she navigate between helping and trusting her son, and finding the truth?

The tale is mostly told from Abby's point of view, gradually revealing fears and secrets as the perspective switches between present day and her teenage years. In the latter third of the book the perspective broadens to include present day Benjamin, as the suspense ratchets up and further truths and lies are uncovered.

WHAT BOYS LEARN is suspenseful, thrilling, disturbing and thought-provoking! A fascinating story, providing plenty to think about how and what children, especially boys, are exposed to as they grow and the impact that exposure can have on them and the people around them. Recommended!

Thanks to NetGalley and Soho Press for the early review copy!

#WhatBoysLearn #NetGalley



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Review: Never Flinch

Never Flinch by Stephen King
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

With NEVER FLINCH Stephen King does it again, bringing back several wonderful characters from the Bill Hodges trilogy in a new, suspenseful crime-fiction tale that takes three separate story lines and brings them together in a thrilling conclusion.

Private Investigator Holly Gibney - one of King's most underrated characters - takes on an assignment to protect women's rights activist Kate McKay from a would-be assassin during a book tour. Meanwhile her friend, and Buckeye City Detective, Izzy Jaynes, is tasked with tracking down a guilt-wracked serial killer who is seeking to exact vengeance on those responsible for wrongly sending an innocent man to prison. And if that isn't enough, soul and Gospel singer Sista' Bessie is coming out of retirement to go on tour with her first show at Mingo Auditorium in the center of the city.

NEVER FLINCH is a compelling, tension-filled story that will satisfy King fans young and old. While this is a standalone novel, I do suggest that you read the earlier books that feature Holly Gibney if you haven't already done so as there are references to events that occurred in those earlier stories which may be mild spoilers.

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Review: Veil

Veil by Jonathan Janz
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Veil by Jonathan Janz is Predator meets Falling Skies and The A-Team all rolled into one fantastic, wild ride!

What starts out as a simple story of John Calhoun, a father desperately trying to keep his family from falling apart, turns horrific as first his son, then his separated wife, and finally his daughter are abducted in the midst of nation-wide series of unexplained disappearances. Rumors spread that the abductions are part of an alien invasion as reports surface of people literally vanishing into thin-air. As the world around him devolves into chaos, John wants nothing more than to bring his family back together, and joins with a small group of misfits who have a risky and radical plan to find and battle the abductors and bring their loved ones home.

With Veil, Janz has crafted a tension-filled story that evolves into an action-packed thriller, with strong and interesting characters and skillfully applied echoes of government and citizen reactions to the 2020 pandemic.

I'll be looking for more books by Jonathan Janz.
Recommended!

Thanks to #NetGalley for the early review copy of #Veil

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Review: The Autumn Springs Retirement Home Massacre

The Autumn Springs Retirement Home Massacre by Philip Fracassi
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

... getting older was nothing but a series of slow deaths of the people we once were, and how, with each death of our past selves, those held memories of past lives also died.
-- Philip Fracassi: The Autumn Springs Retirement Home Massacre

I was fortunate enough to be able to read a pre-publication version of The Autumn Springs Retirement Home Massacre. While a senior citizen enclave doesn't seem like a great setting for slasher story, Philip Fracassi delivers an amazing tale. Funny, sad, horrifying and not to be missed.

Rose DuBois, Beauregard Mason Miller and their friends are living comfortable lives in the Autumn Springs Retirement Home. Although many are forgotten by their families, they still enjoy movie nights, cocktail parties and playing games, knowing that the facility can continue to provide care and a home for them if their bodies and/or minds decline as they age. Even though a series of unexpected deaths are dismissed by the authorities as unfortunate, but not unusual in an old folks home, Rose and her friends feel something isn't right and begin to investigate on their own. It's only after the deaths continue to grow and become more gruesome that they are finally taken seriously. Too late, perhaps, to do any good.

Fracassi does a wonderful job revealing the story and the characters. He builds suspense by carefully laying his groundwork in the first half of the book and then takes us on a wild ride as the story speeds to its conclusion.

Anyone who has, or has had, relatives or friends in a nursing/rest home or retirement community will recognize at least a few of the staff and the residents. What won't be as familiar are the creative, horrifying and in at least one case heart-breaking ways in which the killer ends the lives of some of their victims. I'd hate to think what the police would say if they ever had reason to look at Fracassi's browser search history.

I was kept guessing and remained suspicious of various characters right until the very end. I hope we get more stories featuring some of the residents of Autumn Springs in the future.



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