Broken Heart Attack (Braxton Campus Mysteries #2), by James J. Cudney ~ 5.0 Stars

Tags

Adult Fiction, Cozy Mystery, Humor

I’d like to thank the author for providing an ebook in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: Available Now

272 Pages

Synopsis: When an extra ticket becomes available to attend the dress rehearsal of  Braxton’s King Lear production, Kellan tags along with Nana D and her buddies, sisters-in-law Eustacia and Gwendolyn Paddington, to show support for the rest of the Paddington family. When one of them appears to have a heart attack in the middle of the second act, Nana D raises her suspicions and asks Kellan to investigate who killed her friend. Amidst family members suddenly in debt and a secret rendezvous between an unlikely pair, Kellan learns the Paddingtons may not be as clean-cut as everyone thinks. But did one of them commit murder for an inheritance? 

Kellan’s back in his second adventure since returning home to Pennsylvania. With his personal life in upheaval and his new boss, Myriam, making life difficult, will he be able to find a killer, or will he get caught up in his own version of stage fright?

Oh my goodness! I said in my review of the first book in this series, Broken Heart Attack, that Jay hit it out of the park. Well Academic Curveball is even better! My one critique of the previous book was that I thought it slowed down a bit in the middle. Well, that certainly didn’t happen here. I started reading this after supper and finished it an hour and a half later. It’s fun, amusing, full of strong and quirky personalities, and the mystery is twisty and unpredictable and will keep you guessing. It’s amazing how much Jay packs into a cozy that’s under 300 pages.

Broken Heart Attack is the fourth book I’ve read by Jay and I’ve loved all of them. It’s not often you have the privilege of seeing someone start out at the beginning of their career and watch them develop into a superstar. Jay is a brilliant author, one of the best I’ve come across in my many years of reading and I just cannot recommend his books highly enough!

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The Forbidden Door (Jane Hawk #4), by Dean Koontz ~ 5.0 Stars

Tags

Adult Fiction, Horror, Mystery, Science Fiction, Thriller

Thanks to NetGalley and Bantam for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: Available Now

480 Pages

Synopsis: “We’re rewriting the play, and the play is this country, the world, the future. We break Jane’s heart, we’ll also break her will.”

She was one of the FBI’s top agents, until she became the nation’s most-wanted fugitive. Now Jane Hawk may be all that’s left between a free nation and its enslavement by a powerful secret society’s terrifying mind-control technology. She couldn’t save her husband, or the others whose lives have been destroyed, but equipped with superior tactical and survival skills—and the fury born of a broken heart and a hunger for justice—Jane has struck major blows against the insidious cabal.

But Jane’s enemies are about to hit back hard. If their best operatives can’t outrun her, they mean to bring her running to them, using her five-year-old son as bait. Jane knows there’s no underestimating their capabilities, but she must battle her way back across the country to the remote shelter where her boy is safely hidden…for now.

 As she moves resolutely forward, new threats begin to emerge: a growing number of brain-altered victims driven hopelessly, violently insane. With the madness spreading like a virus, the war between Jane and her enemies will become a fight for all their lives—against  the lethal terror unleashed from behind the forbidden door.

The Forbidden Door is Dean Koontz’s 4th Jane Hawk book and is another perfect addition to this exciting series that shows no sign of slowing down. I think I’ve mentioned this in my reviews of the first three books that one of the biggest strengths of this series is the characters. I have become so invested in what happens to Jane, her precocious son, and the others on her team, that I find myself holding my breath as they face danger after danger. And the villains are so despicable and evil, that I want them to all die as slowly and painfully as possible.

There’s not much more I can say that I haven’t already said in my other reviews except that in my opinion the Jane Hawk series is some of Dean Koontz’s best work in years! The Forbidden Door ends in another nail biting cliffhanger, so I’m eagerly anticipating The Night Window which is coming out in May. 

Blog Tour ~ Too Far Gone (Lucy Kincaid #14), by Allison Brennan ~ 5.0 Stars

Tags

Adult Fiction, Mystery, Police Procedural, Suspense

Thanks to St. Martin’s for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: Available Now 

496 Pages 

Synopsis: Things finally seem to be going well for FBI Agent Lucy Kincaid. She’s just finished training for Hostage Rescue, her husband’s relationship with his son is back on track, and her tense relationship with her boss, Rachel Vaughn, has become much more bearable.That is, until her first hostage case throws everything off track.

When a man who appears under the influence and mentally unstable holds a group of people hostage and dies in a shootout with the FBI, Lucy is assigned to investigate what happened. His descent doesn’t make any sense—he was an upstanding citizen a year ago and only started declining after a series of blackouts and strange occurrences. Even his autopsy seems suspicious, and the body has been cremated without the proper approval. As Lucy investigates, she realizes that this story may be more complicated than she thinks, and her own life might be in danger.

You know a series is good when you’re fourteen books in and still loving it. What starts a standard hostage situation quickly turns into something much more complex involving corporate corruption, greed, manipulation and cover-ups. Add to that a bit of family drama, and you have an intriguing and compelling read. Too Far Gone is an excellent addition to the Lucy Kincaid series, but if you haven’t read the previous books, it can also be read as a standalone. I highly recommend this for readers who enjoy intense suspenseful mysteries, and interesting and relatable characters.

About the Author: Allison Brennan is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of over thirty novels. Most recently she was nominated for Best Paperback Original Thriller by the International Thriller Writers and is a two-time winner of the Daphne du Maurier Award by Kiss of Death. A former consultant in the California State Legislature, Allison lives in Northern California with her husband, five kids, and assorted pets. Visit her website at:

http://www.allisonbrennan.com

 

Summoned to Thirteenth Grave Blog Tour

Tags

Adult Fiction, Mystery, Romance, Suspense, Urban Fantasy

I can’t tell you how excited I am to be participating in this blog tour (Thank You St. Martin’s Press!). At the same time I’m crushed that Summoned to Thirteenth Grave is the final book in the Charley Davidson series. Seven years ago, the first book in this fantastic series was published and I immediately became a fervent fan. As part of this tour I chose to reread First Grave on the Right and review it.

Synopsis:

This whole grim reaper thing should come with a manual.

Or a diagram of some kind.

A flow chart would have been nice.

Charley Davidson is a part-time private investigator and full-time grim reaper. Meaning, she sees dead people. Really. And it’s her job to convince them to “go into the light.” But when these very dead people have died under less than ideal circumstances (like murder), sometimes they want Charley to bring the bad guys to justice. Complicating matters are the intensely hot dreams she’s been having about an entity who has been following her all of her life…and it turns out he might not be dead after all. In fact, he might be something else entirely. But what does he want with Charley? And why can’t she seem to resist him? And what does she have to lose by giving in?

With scorching-hot tension and high-octane humor, First Grave on the Right is your signpost to paranormal suspense of the highest order.

I was still working as a librarian back in 2011, and I remember how reading this on my breaks caused a few embarrassing moments for me because it had me laughing out loud so many times. Charley may be the reaper, but you can take the “grim” out of the equation. She’s sassy and sarcastic, but these are a front for her vulnerability. Having to grow up with abilities that she didn’t understand while being ostracized by friends and family wasn’t easy. And now, having to balance her P.I. job with her Grim Reaper duties, further complicates her life. Thankfully she has her Uncle Bob and her BFF, Cookie to help her out. And she truly needs all the help she can get especially when the mysterious, smokin’ hot Reyes enters the picture!

I found First Grave on the Right to be just as entertaining as the first time I read it. My one critique is that Charley at times comes across as a little immature, but, having read the other books, I know how she grows and develops. I’ve read many urban fantasy series over the years and in my humble opinion the Charley Davidson series is one of the best. I cannot recommend this highly enough to fans of this genre. With its memorable characters, intriguing mystery, steamy romance, and snarky humor, it’s an addictive read that will have you reaching for the next book.

 

~ About the Author ~

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Darynda Jones won a Golden Heart and a RITA for her manuscript First Grave on the Right. A born storyteller, she grew up spinning tales of dashing damsels and heroes in distress for any unfortunate soul who happened by, annoying man and beast alike. Darynda lives in the Land of Enchantment, also known as New Mexico, with her husband and two beautiful sons, the Mighty Mighty Jones Boys.

Website ~ https://www.daryndajones.com

Twitter ~ https://mobile.twitter.com/Darynda

Facebook ~ https://m.facebook.com/darynda.jones.official

~

Here’s a peek at the epic conclusion to this exciting urban fantasy series.

Summoned to Thirteenth Grave (Charley Davidson #13), by Darynda Jones

Release Date: January 15th, 2019

304 Pages

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press

Synopsis: Grim Reaper Charley Davidson is back in the final installment of Darynda Jones’ New York Times bestselling paranormal series!

Charley Davidson, Grim Reaper extraordinaire, is pissed. She’s been kicked off the earthly plain for eternity—-which is exactly the amount of time it takes to make a person stark raving mad. But someone’s looking out for her, and she’s allowed to return after a mere hundred years in exile. Is it too much to hope for that not much has changed? Apparently it is. Bummer.

She’s missed her daughter. She’s missed Reyes. She’s missed Cookie and Garrett and Uncle Bob. Now that she’s back on earth, it’s time to put to rest burning questions that need answers. What happened to her mother? How did she really die? Who killed her? And are cupcakes or coffee the best medicine? It all comes to a head in an epic showdown between good and evil in this final smart and hilarious novel.

Academic Curveball (Braxton Campus Mysteries), by James J. Cudney ~ 4.5 Stars

Tags

Adult Fiction, Cozy Mystery

Thanks to the author for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: Available Now!

290 Pages

Synopsis: When Kellan Ayrwick, a thirty-two-year-old single father, is forced to return for his father’s retirement from Braxton College, he finds the dead body of a professor in Diamond Hall’s stairwell. Unfortunately, Kellan has a connection to the victim, and so do several members of his family. Could one of them be guilty of murder? Then he finds a second body after discovering mysterious donations to the college’s athletic program, and a criminal attempting to change student grades so the star baseball player isn’t expelled. 

Someone is playing games on campus, but non of the facts add up. With the help of his eccentric and trouble-making nana weeding through the clues, Kellan tries to stay out of the sheriff’s way. Fate has other plans. Kellan is close to discovering the killer’s identity just as someone he loves is put in grave danger of becoming victim number three. And if that’s not enough to wreck havoc on his family, everything comes crashing to a halt when his own past comes spiraling back to change his life forever.

In this debut novel in the Braxton Campus Mystery Series, readers discover a cozy, secluded Pennsylvania village full of quirky, sarcastic, and nosy residents. Among the daily workings of Braxton College and the charming Ayrwick family, Kellan weighs his investigative talents talents against an opportunity to achieve a much sought-after dream. When this first book ends, the drama is set for the next adventure in Kellan’s future…and it’s one you won’t want to miss.

This is the third book I’ve read by our fellow blogger, Jay Cudney, and once again he’s knocked it out of the park! (I know. Sorry for the dreadful pun). 

The story is told from the first person POV of Kellan, a widower with a sweet six-year-old daughter. I really liked him and found him thoroughly engaging. I loved his musings and interactions with the other characters, especially his eccentric irrepressible Nana D and the snarky sheriff upon who his charm continually fails. I did find the story a little slow in the middle, but it wasn’t enough to spoil my enjoyment. The mystery itself kept me guessing right up until the reveal and all the loose ends were satisfyingly tied up. The end of the book has a whopper of a cliffhanger and I can’t wait to jump into the next book, Broken Heart Attack, which is coming out (Thank God!) December 15th. Overall, I think Academic Curveball is an excellent beginning to this new cozy mystery series. It’s full of the memorable quirky characters that Jay is so wonderful at creating, and that, combined with a twisty mystery and cozy college town setting, makes for a delightful read.

The Dark Days Club Blog Tour ~ The Dark Days Pact (Lady Helen #2), By Alison Goodman

Tags

Adult Fiction, LGBTQ, Mystery, Regency England, Romance, Supernatural Fiction, Suspense

This is part two of The Dark Days Book Tour, hosted by Penguin Young Readers. After reading the second book in this series — The Dark Days Pact — I’m once again figuratively hitting  myself over the head for waiting so long!

Release Date: Available Now

496 Pages

Synopsis: June 1812. Just weeks after her catastrophic coming-out ball, Lady Helen Wrexhall—now disowned by her uncle—is a full time member of the demon-hunting Dark Days Club. Her mentor, Lord Carlston, has arranged for Helen to spend the summer season in Brighton so that he can train her new Reclaimer powers. 

However, the long-term effects of Carlston’s Reclaimer work have taken hold, and his sanity is beginning to slip. At the same time, Carlston’s Dark Days Club colleague and nemesis will stop at nothing to bring Helen over to his side—and the Duke of Selburn is determined to marry her. The stakes are even higher for Helen as she struggles to become the warrior that everyone expects her to be.

My one complaint about The Dark Days Club, was that I thought it took a little too long to get to the meat of the story. I don’t know if it was just the mood I was in, but with The Dark Days Pact, I was immediately sucked in. I actually read a little over half the book in my first sitting! There’s a lot more action in this sequel, as Lady Helen learns exactly what’s expected of her new duties as a Reclaimer. Balancing her secret life and maintaining her outward persona as a young lady of the Ton in 1800s England is proving to be more and more difficult. Having to disguise herself as a man while working requires certain sacrifices, including cutting her hair. And worse, she’s forcibly drawn into the politics of the Dark Days Club itself, which puts her into the position of keeping secrets from her mentor, Lord Carlston.

While their relationship has had it’s erm, prickly moments, things are now even more strained between them. In addition to Lady Helen’s secret mission, Lord Carlston is struggling with an unknown illness, and it’s one that his chief nemesis in the Dark Days Club is more than willing to exploit. And then there are the feelings that Lady Helen harbors for the Duke of Selburn. You all know my feelings toward love triangles. They’re one of my biggest pet peeves because I’ve rarely seen them work in a positive manner in a story. However, this (sort of) love triangle not only didn’t make me want to hurl the book at the wall, it also makes rational sense within the context of the story. Just as Lady Helen is torn between her role as a defender of humanity against the deceivers, and that of a respectable young lady in England’s high society, she is also torn between the brooding Lord Carlston who respects her and expects much from her despite her sex, and the adoring attentions of the Duke who wants to put her up on a pedestal. It seems pretty obvious (fingers crossed) Lady Helen will wind up with Lord Carlston who admires and respects both her intellect and her other attributes, but I can understand why she’s somewhat drawn to Selburn with his connections to her old life, despite her frustration with his insistence on being her protector. I also have a developing theory regarding Selburn, and if I’m correct, it will abolish any lingering feelings that Lady Helen has for him.

In the previous book, Lady Helen already was showing strong, feminist characteristics, and in this book she continues on that journey, growing more confident and self-assured as the story progresses. Aiding her on that journey is her maid Darby, who is not only her aide in her paranormal duties, but steadfastly backs her up when it comes to what is expected of her. I absolutely love their relationship! The other characters’ backstories are developed more, especially those of Lord Carlston’s aides, Mr. Hammond and his twin sister Lady Margaret. As difficult as things are today for anyone who’s LGBTQ, back in the 1800s it was even worse and this is realistically and heartbreakingly depicted by the scorn and disgust Mr. Hammond is forced to endure, as well as the danger being a “Molly” could bring, as it was an executable offense.

And finally, the supernatural world building against the all too real life for the upper and lower classes in Regency England continues to be a wonderful combination. It boggles my mind how the author can portray this historical period with such accuracy, even including actual historical figures and incidents, while adding all these supernatural elements.

In my estimation, The Darks Days Pact has surprisingly surpassed its fantastic predecessor, and it’s left me extremely excited to dive into the conclusion, The Dark Days Deceit, which is being released November 20th, 2018. 

~

About the Author:

Alison Goodman writes in a variety of genres, ranging from the genre-bending DARK DAYS CLUB titles to the EON/EONA fantasy duology, to the YA science fiction thriller SINGING THE DOGSTAR BLUES. She was a D.J. O’Hearn Memorial Fellow at Melbourne University, holds a Master of Arts degree and mentors emerging writers. A long-time lover of the Regency period, she has a treasure trove of material to be viewed at https://www.pinterest.com/alisongoodman/ She’s online at http://www.darkdaysclub.com and on Twitter at https://mobile.twitter.com/AlisonGoodman

The Dark Days Pact can be found at:

 

Barnes and Noble – https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-dark-days-pact-alison-goodman/1123752847;jsessionid=9602CB07B357E29

Goodreads – https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26061581-the-dark-days-pact

Tour Schedule:

WEEK ONE

September 10 – Eater of Books ~ https://eaterofbooks.blogspot.com – Top Ten Reasons Why You Should Read the Dark Days Club

September 11 – @darkfaerietales ~ https://www.instagram.com/darkfaerietales_/ – Creative Instagram Picture

September 12 – Darque Dreamer Reads ~ https://darquedreamerreads.wordpress.com – Review with gifs and Moodboard

September 13 – My Friends are Fiction – https://www.instagram.com/myfriendsarefiction – Creative Instagram Picture 

September 14 – By Hook Or By Book – https://cadburypom.wordpress.com – Review with gifs

WEEK TWO

October 8 – Eater of Books ~ https://eaterofbooks.blogspot.com – Moodboard 

October 9 – @darkfaerietales ~ https://www.instagram.com/darkfaerietales_/ – Creative Instagram Picture 

October 10 – Darque Dreamer Reads – https://darquedreamerreads.wordpress.com – Review with gifs and Moodboard 

October 11 – My Friends are Fiction – https://www.instagram.com/myfriendsarefiction – Review and Creative Instagram Picture 

October 12 – By Hook Or By Book – https://cadburypom.wordpress.com – Review with gifs

WEEK THREE

November 12 – Eater of Books ~ https://eaterofbooks.blogspot.com – Favorite Quotes

November 13 – @darkfaerietales ~ https://www.instagram.com/darkfaerietales_/ – Creative Instagram Picture 

November 14 – Dark Dreamer Reads ~ https://darkdreamerreads.wordpress.com – Review with gifs and Moodboard 

November 15 – My Friends are Fiction – https://www.instagram.com/myfriendsarefiction – Review and Creative Instagram Picture 

November 16 – By Hook Or By Book – https://cadburypom.wordpress.com – Review with gifs 

 

The Rain Watcher, by Tatiana de Rosnay ~ 4.0 Stars

Tags

Adult Fiction, Family Drama, Literary Fiction, Paris

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: Available Now 

240 Pages

Synopsis: The first new novel in four years from the beloved superstar author of Sarah’s Key, a heartbreaking and uplifting story of family secrets and devastating disaster, in the tradition of THE NEST.

The Rain Watcher is a powerful family drama set in Paris as the Malegarde family gathers to celebrate the father’s 70th birthday. Their hidden fears and secrets are slowly unraveled as The City of Light undergoes a stunning natural disaster. Seen through the eyes of charismatic photographer Linden Malegarde, the youngest son, all members of the family will have to fight to keep their unity against tragic circumstances. 

In this profound and intense novel of love and redemption, De Rosnay demonstrates all of her writer’s skills both as an incredible storyteller but also a soul seeker.

I loved Sarah’s Key so when I saw The Rain Watcher being offered on NetGalley, I immediately requested it, and I’m happy to say that I quite enjoyed it. I have to be honest and say that I found the first thirty pages slow to get through as the Malegarde family is introduced, but once I passed that point I was completely sucked into this story about a dysfunctional family gathering in Paris during a long period of incessant rain that’s not only adding to their woes, but is also threatening widespread devastation for the locals and tourists. It’s the perfect backdrop to what’s happening with this family, and in some ways, the weather and flooding actually becomes another character.

The Rain Watcher is another beautifully written novel by Tatiana de Rosnay, and I highly recommend it to readers who enjoy tightly written stories about family drama.

Lies, by T.M. Logan ~ 3.0 Stars

Tags

Adult Fiction, Mystery, Suspense

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: September 11th, 2018

375 Pages

Synopsis: WHAT IF YOUR WHOLE LIFE WAS BASED ON LIES?

When Joe Lynch stumbles across his wife driving into a hotel car park while she’s supposed to be at work, he’s intrigued enough to follow her in. 

And when he witnesses her in an angry altercation with family friend Ben, he knows he ought to intervene.

But just as the confrontation between the two men turns violent, and Ben is knocked unconscious, Joe’s young son has an asthma attack—and Joe must flee in order to help him. When he returns, desperate to make sure Ben is OK, Joe is horrified to find the Ben has disappeared.

And that’s when Joe receives the first message…

Lies sounded like a psychological thriller that would be just my cup of tea, and while it wasn’t quite what I had envisioned from the premise, it was still a fairly  enjoyable read.

I liked Joe who found himself in circumstances beyond his control. He goes from being a loving husband and respected teacher, to a murder suspect forced to go on the run. While I emphasized with him he was a little too naive to be believable. Except for Joe’s son William, who I loved, the rest of the characters were pretty much one-dimensional.

The first half of the book was exciting and adrenaline-filled, but then from the middle on, the pace slowed down. Modern technology played a big part in the story but the way in which it was executed didn’t wind up working for me. The characters spend too much time explaining various aspects of it like in one instance, the working of a character’s smartphone, which I felt was unnecessary.  While I didn’t have everything figured out, I guessed the villain fairly early on. There were a few minor twists near the end, but nothing that truly shocked me.

In the end, although I was a little disappointed in Lies, there was still enough I enjoyed in it that I will definitely give T.M. Logan’s next book a try. 

 

The Exes’ Revenge, by Jo Jakeman ~ 4.5 Stars

Tags

Adult Fiction, Domestic Abuse, Thriller

Thanks to Edelweiss and Penguin Publishing Group for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: Available Now

352 Pages

Synopsis: A wickedly dark debut thriller about three women who’ve all been involved with the same man and realize the one thing they all have in common is that they all want revenge against him…

Divorces are often messy, and Imogen’s is no exception. Phillip Rochester is controlling, abusive, and determined to make things as difficult as possible. When he shows up without warning demanding that Imogen move out of their house by the end of the month or he’ll sue for sole custody of their young son, Imogen is ready to snap. 

In a moment of madness, Imogen does something unthinkable—something that puts her in control for the first time in years. She’s desperate to protect her son, and to claim authority over her own life.

But she wasn’t expecting both Phillip’s ex-wife and his new girlfriend to get tangled up in her plans. These three very different women—and unlikely allies—reluctantly team up to take revenge against a man who’s wronged them all.

The Exes’ Revenge is a book that I really shouldn’t have liked as much as I did. It’s insanely over-the-top, with completely ridiculous and unbelievable plot twists, and characters that make truly horrendous decisions, yet despite all this it somehow worked and I don’t even know why. I do want to include a warning though for any reader who’s been a victim of domestic abuse, both physical and psychological. There are quite a few scenes that could serve as triggers so this might not be the right book for you.

Imogen is the despicable Phillip’s soon to be ex-wife. I liked her a lot and her devotion to her son Alistair. I found her very empathetic, so much so, that when it’s her appalling decisions and actions that set everything into motion, I was still rooting for her much to my shock. Ruby is Phillip’s first wife and she doesn’t really make a personal appearance until about halfway through the book. Out of the three women, she was the one who annoyed me the most with her persistent and sickening devotion to Phillip. But something changes and I did wind up liking her near the end. Naomi is Phillip’s current girlfriend and initially comes across as selfish and callous. There’s a lot more to her though and after Imogen, she wound up being my favorite character. Which brings us to Phillip who is one of the most despicable characters I’ve come across in a very long time. I’m not usually a violent person, but I wanted him to die slowly and painfully.

The story, as I said is completely bonkers and I kept shaking my head in disbelief, yet I couldn’t tear myself away. There are some truly brutal scenes that made me wince, but there’s also some unexpected black humor which had me laughing a few times. The ending is perfect and ties everything up in a nice neat bow.

Overall I think the Exes’ Revenge is a highly entertaining thriller that captured my attention from the very first page. I’d recommend this to anyone who enjoys thriller and would just advise that before you jump in, leave any expectations of believability at the door and hang on for a roller coaster of a ride!

 

 

 

Creature, by Hunter Shea ~ 5.0 Stars

Tags

Adult Fiction, Chronic Illness, Family Relationships, Horror, Psychological Thriller

Thanks to NetGalley and Flame Tree Press for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: September 6th, 2018

256 Pages

Synopsis: The monsters live inside of Kate Woodson. Chronic pain and a host of autoimmune diseases have robbed her of a normal, happy life. Her husband Andrew’s surprise of their dream Maine lake cottage for the summer is the gift of a lifetime. It’s beautiful, remote, idyllic, a place to heal. But they are not alone. Something is in the woods, screeching in the darkness, banging on the house, leaving animals for dead. Just like her body, Kate’s cottage becomes her prison. She and Andrew must fight to survive the creature that lurks in the dead of night.

I’ve read quite a few books by Hunter Shea and I know I can always rely on his stories to be fun, totally insane horror mixed with subtly sly humor. Creature is completely different, in that it’s more character driven, and it’s one that will reach many readers at a deeply personal level.

For fans of his books, I have to caution the “monster” doesn’t really rear its head until the last third of the book. There’s obviously something going on as poor Kate and Andrew try to enjoy their getaway, but the usual blood and gore doesn’t come into play until the latter part of the book. Instead, the main focus is on Kate and her battles against several autoimmune disorders including Lupus and Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome that have impacted her life in some truly horrible ways. The author writes Kate with such emotion I knew even before reading the afterward, that he must know someone who suffer from these debilitating illnesses. I have to be honest and say this isn’t the easiest read, especially if you struggle with chronic pain and illness. While Kate is far sicker than I am, I connected with her completely and there were several scenes where I was reduced to tears. Andrew is Kate’s soulmate in every sense of the word. He tries so hard to help his wife and his worry, frustration, and love are palpable. Their relationship in the face of such hardship is the backbone of this story.

The ending is not happily-ever-after, but then Hunter Shea’s books rarely are. This one was especially difficult for me though because I loved the characters so much and became personally invested in them. In my opinion, Creature is Hunter Shea’s best novel to date and that’s really saying something. If you choose to pick this up, make sure to read the afterward as it’ll make you understand how and why this story came about.