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: Traps and Specters: Stories

Traps and Specters: Stories by Philip Fracassi
My rating: 5 of 5 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

If you've read any Philip Fracassi then you know he is a master at serving up incredible stories, whether they are novels or short stories. With Traps and Specters, Fracassi once again delivers, in spades! This is a collection of short, but dark tales, featuring mostly normal people, going about their mostly normal lives. These poor souls find that the lines between success and failure, normality and insanity, and life and death are all extremely thin; very easy to cross on your own, but sometimes you get dragged across, kicking and screaming, without warning.

These stories CREEPED. ME. OUT... in all the good ways! The collection is full of twists and surprises, unhappy spirits, ancient kings, hidden figures and dead relatives. Put 'em all together and you've got a heck of a horror punch for your next party!

D7 - A couple walks into a nightmare when stopping at a remote bar for a quick after dinner drink. A horrific hoedown!

The Visitor - A priest called to visit a troubled family in a remote location learns that the pursuit of knowledge has its own dangers. Chilling!

The Mummified Corpse of Reese Witherspoon - Amazon really WILL sell almost anything, but artist Jack soon learns there's truth in the Latin expression Caveat Emptor.  A twisted and creepy delivery!

The Servitor - For generations, one member of the Espinoza family has dedicated his life to maintaining the many traps that preserve and protect the tomb of the Inca king Maco Capac from treasure hunters. Failure is not an option! Tense and surprising!

King Mob - There are orderly protests, and then there's King Mob. Could you resist the temptation to get swept up in the insanity? This story pulls you right into the mob... and history buffs may find a new suspect as the chief instigator of the anti-Catholic Gordon Riots in 1780 London. 

The Hunter - When you can't escape a father's insane fits of violence, you may have no choice but to make a promise in the dark. Pulse-pounding dread!

Point Oh One - Would knowing, to the second, when you'll die change how you live? The clock is winding down, but will the terror ever end?

Betrothed - Every couple needs their space. But what if one can't let go? Disturbing and unsettling ... 'til death do we part may not tell the whole tale!

My Love, Do Not Wake - Would you want your true love to bend over backwards for you? You may want to pay closer attention to those strange murmurings in the night.

The Black Rider - Some tales are meant to frighten children to encourage good behavior. Maybe we should all listen. Short, and not so sweet... yet immensely satisfying!

Dream of Me - A young girl finds more than just a way to interpret her dreams in the journal gifted to her by her grandmother. Some grandmothers are creepier than others.

The Resident - An empty house. An antiquated safe. Some jobs are just too easy. Until they aren't. Atmospheric and suspenseful.

  

I Think My Treehouse Is Haunted - A boy and his mother move to a nice house in the suburbs, where he learns that his tree house refuge isn't his alone. Holy crap!! Goosebumps!!! ACTUAL GOOSEBUMPS!!!! 

Red Leather - A traveling salesman, having dessert at a local Sabbath diner, gets a double serving of horror when hearing the story of young love. You can always count on a Sabbath tale for a tasty terror treat, and this one does NOT disappoint!

Thanks to Shortwave Publishing for providing an eARC of Traps and Specters: Stories for review via Netgalley!

#TrapsandSpecters #NetGalley

Still Floating: 40 Years of Pennywise edited by Tom Deady

Releasing Sept 16, 2026

I saw this announced in Tom Deady's email newsletter and wanted to share it for others to find as well. Stephen King's IT is one of my all-time favorite reads. I mean, really, what's not to like about putting kids in mortal danger from inhuman AND human monsters?
 

"In Still Floating: 40 Years of Pennywise, Tom Deady (Bram Stoker Award-winning author of Haven) brings together thirty-three authors, artists, scholars, and publishers to examine IT in-depth, from King’s four-year writing of the novel to the recent adaptations, and everything in between."

Essays, artwork, interviews from the likes of Glenn Chadbourne, Richard Chizmar, Brian Freeman, Jonathan Janz, Paul Michael Kane, Hans-Ake Lilja, Bev Vincent, and Kris Webster among others....

You can pre-order directly from Tom Deady's website

Review: Brona (Book 2 of The First Druids of Shannara series)

Brona by Terry Brooks & Delilah S. Dawson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Brona, the second book in The First Druids of Shannara series, provides a fantastic⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ addition to the origins of the Druid Council and their fortress Paranor, as well as the origins of the Warlock Lord.  I recommend reading the first book in this series, Galaphile, before beginning Brona because of the multiple references to events in the earlier story. (To learn more about the earlier book read my spoiler-free review of Galaphile).

This second book in the series resumes the tale about 17 years after the events of Galaphile. After their last battle with the Spectre Telle, Galaphile and his life-partner Nirianne have continued to oversee the construction of Paranor while raising their 2 sons, 16 year old Abronja, nicknamed Brona, and his 10 year old brother Ional. Although the Spectre Telle has not been seen in many years, they remain vigilant and often travel throughout the Four Lands to improve relations and establish peace between the races of Humans, Elves, Gnomes and Trolls. When at home in Paranor, Galaphile continues to train Brona in the use of magic, which he did not start until Brona turned 14, in spite of his older son's eagerness to begin earlier.

In many ways, Brona is a "coming of age" tale. It is chock-full of new experiences, both tragic and heroic, as well as quests and battles. It's also a tale of the struggle between youth and experience, knowing when to act and when to wait, and the need to be seen as being skillful and able to handle new responsibilities without constant supervision. 

Most of all, this is a tale of a young man who desires to step out from beneath the perceived shadow of his parents' accomplishments, and of the burdens he carries being unable to forgive himself for a tragedy caused by a mistake in judgement. His drive to increase his magical skills, his desire to prove himself, and the overconfidence of youth make him particularly vulnerable to the temptations and traps set by evil forces at work within the Four Lands.  

Longtime readers will recognize many elements of the story, while enjoying new discoveries about the Druids, Paranor and the Four Lands. Newcomers and longtime readers alike will enjoy the adventures that occur, celebrate the victories and mourn the losses.

In March of 2025, Shannara author Terry Brooks announced that he was stepping back from day to day writing and was passing the Shannara torch to sci-fi/fantasy author Delilah S. Dawson. This semi-retirement meant that Brooks, 81 years old at the time, could continue to be involved and provide guidance to his chosen successor, without having the burden of writing the full book by himself. Brona is the result of that first collaboration, and is a more-than-worthy addition to the Shannara canon. It's a fantastic story and I look forward to reading what comes next. 

Recommended.

Thanks to the publisher, Del Rey for offering me an eARC to review. 

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: 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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