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.

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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 

 

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 Dark Days Blog Tour ~ Hosted By Penguin Young Readers

Tags

Alison Goodman, Dark Days Blog Tour, Mystery, Paranormal Fiction, Regency England, Suspense, The Dark Days Club

Penguin and Viking have put this re-read campaign together to get everyone ready for the third book, The Dark Days Deceit which is set for release November 20th, 2018. I’m especially excited to be part of this campaign and blog tour for the next three months because I never got a chance to read the first two books: The Dark Days Club and The Dark Days Pact. They’ve been on my tbr, but somehow I just never found the time. Well, after finishing the first book, I’m now figuratively hitting myself over the head for waiting so long. Without further ado, I present:

Release Date: Available Now

472 Pages

Synopsis: London, April 1812. 

On the eve of eighteen-year-old Lady Helen Wrexhall’s presentation to the queen, one of her family’s housemaids disappears—and Helen is drawn into the shadows of Regency London. There she meets Lord Carlston, one of the few who can stop the perpetrators: a cabal of demons infiltrating every level of society. Dare she ask for his help, when his reputation is as black as his lingering eyes? And will her intelligence and headstrong curiosity wind up leading them into a death trap?

One thing I always look for in a historical fiction book is whether it actually makes me feel like I’m in that time period. Dark Days Club delivers on this. Alison Goodman has obviously done her research and makes it apparent that the Regency era wasn’t all pretty dresses and balls. There are some “ew” moments like what ladies had to put in their hair to keep their elaborate hair styles, and even what some had to do while waiting the many hours when being presented to the Queen and needed to go to the bathroom. Don’t worry. I won’t share any details with you! Suffice it to say I’m quite happy now to have born in the modern day era.

What I’ve loved about Goodman’s previous books is that she always brings something new and unique to the YA fantasy genre, and she does so with this book as well. She takes the beautiful dresses and balls, and shadows and gritty streets of 19th century London and adds her own creative touch. The world building is phenomenal and the paranormal elements are blended in perfectly. The exquisite detailing helps further bring this story to life. 

Strong-willed Lady Helen Wrexhall is not only dealing with the high expectations of the Ton, but also those of her well-meaning aunt and disagreeable uncle, who have raised her and her older brother Andrew after their parents mysteriously perished when they were young. Adding to this are the gossip and rumors which say that her mother was a traitor. She tries to fit in, but she knows there’s something different that sets her apart. And once she learns what that something is, she has to chose between the role in Society she’s been bred for, and the more exciting but dangerous world of Lord Carlston and the Dark Days Club.

When the dark, brooding Lord Carlston enters the picture, things begin to make more sense, and Helen is introduced to a whole new world where her unusual abilities are desperately needed. Their relationship doesn’t quite evolve into romance, but there’s definitely chemistry between them, and I can’t wait to see how their relationship evolves.

The action doesn’t actually begin until you’re about 150 pages in, and I confess I was getting a little impatient because I wanted to know what was going on, but that’s not to say the preceding pages are boring, especially if you love Regency novels. The ending perfectly sets things up for the second book which I’m now quite eager to dive into.

Overall, The Dark Days Club is a delightful beginning to this series and I highly recommend it for older teens and adults who like historical fiction mixed with paranormal elements. It’s an engrossing and enjoyable read that has left me wanting more! 

~

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 is online at http://www.darkdaysclub.com and on Twitter at https://mobile.twitter.com/AlisonGoodman

The Dark Day Club can be found at:

 

Barnes and Noble – https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-dark-days-club-alison-goodman/1121865109?ean=9780670785476&st

Goodreads – https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15993203-the-dark-days-club

~

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 & Moodboard

September 13 – My Friends are Fiction ~ https://www.instagram.com/myfriendsarefiction/ -Review & 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 – Dark Dreamer Reads – https://darquedreamerreads.wordpress.com – Review with gifs & Moodboard 

October 11 – My Friends Are Fiction ~ https://www.instagram.com/myfriendsarefiction/ – Review & Creative Instagram Picture

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

November 15 – My Friends Are Fiction ~ https://www.instagram.com/myfriendsarefiction/ – Review & Creative Instagram Picture 

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

I Do Not Trust You, by Laura J Burns & Melinda Metz ~ 3.5 Stars

Tags

Egyptian Mythology, Mystery, Suspense, YA Fiction

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

Release Date: Available Now

320 Pages

Synopsis: Memphis “M” Engle is stubborn to a fault, graced with an almost absurd knowledge of long lost languages and cultures, and a heck of an opponent in a fight. In short: she’s awesome.

Ashwin Sood is a little too posh for her tastes, a member of an ancient cult (which she’s pretty sure counts for more than one strike against him), and has just informed Memphis that her father who she thought was dead isn’t and needs her help. 

From the catacombs of Paris to lost temples in the sacred forests, together they crisscross the globe, searching for the one thing that might save her father. But the closer they come to saving him—and the more they fall for one another—the closer they get to destroying the world.

I Do Not Trust You is the second book I’ve read by these two authors and while I didn’t enjoy it quite as much as their previous book, Sanctuary Bay, it was still an interesting read.

One of the strengths of the book are its characters. I loved both M and Ash and even though they spend a good chunk of the story not trusting each other, they actually wind up making a pretty fantastic team. As you get further along it becomes obvious that the two are reluctantly getting closer, but having to jump from country to country and trying to keep ahead of the villains, doesn’t leave much time for romance. Which is perfectly fine. I thought the lack of romance made their relationship more believable.

The different cultures depicted are beautifully written  as are the mythologies. The trouble I ran into was the pacing of the story. The first few chapters had plenty of action, but after that it seemed to subside until the last third of the book. Because of their quest and the globetrotting they were doing I expected more adventure, conflict, and excitement but there just seemed to be something missing. Still, despite me wanting more thrills, overall I did think this was a fun read and I would recommend it to fans of authors like Rick Riordan and movies like Indiana Jones.

The Perfect Friend, by Barbara Copperthwaite ~ 4.5 Stars

Tags

Adult Fiction, Mystery, Psychological Suspense

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

Release Date: Available Now

320 Pages

Synopsis: She’ll do anything for you…

My name is Alex, and my world has been shattered.

My husband has left me.

My children won’t speak to me.

My friend Carrie is the only person I have.

She’s the only one I can trust to keep all my secrets.

She’d never do anything to let me down.

Would she?

This dark, gripping psychological thriller will have you holding your breath until the very last page. Fans of Behind Closed Doors, Sometimes I Lie, and The Girl on the Train will be captivated. 

The Perfect Friend is another winning psychological suspense from Barbara Copperthwaite that will keep you guessing almost right up until the end! This is the fourth book I’ve read by her so I know now to expect the unexpected when it comes to her characters and storylines. If you enjoy twisty mysteries with unreliable characters and plenty of suspense, I can’t recommend The Perfect Friend highly enough. It will grab your attention from the very first page and I guarantee you’ll find it impossible to put down.

The Brink of Darkness (The Edge of Everything #2), by Jeff Giles ~ 5.0 Stars

Tags

Mystery, Paranormal, Romance, Suspense, YA Fiction

Thanks to NetGalley and Bloomsbury USA Childrens for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: Available Now

400 Pages

Synopsis: Things have changed for seventeen-year-old Zoe since the otherworldly events that brought her together with the mysterious bounty hunter she calls X. In order to save Zoe and her family, X has done the unthinkable—he’s given up his freedom and returned to captivity in the Lowlands.

X is determined to break the lords’ hold on him once and for all, but being stripped of his power pushes him toward a darkness he’s never experienced and a past he’s never known. The secrets that surface could be the key to reuniting X and Zoe…or they could mean the destruction of everything they’ve been fighting for.

Gripping and full of heart, this epic continuation of Jeff Giles’ series—which already has rave reviews from the New York Times bestselling authors Kami Garcia, Melissa de la Cruz and Cassandra Clare, among others—will bring readers right to the edge of everything.

When I reviewed the first book of this duology last year, The Edge of Everything, I gave it 4 1/2 stars with my only issue being the insta-love between Zoe and X. In The Brink of Darkness, their relationship  is firmly established even though they spend a good part of the book separated, so I was able to completely buy into their romance. 

The story picks up immediately from the end of the previous book and even though it’s been a year, I was immediately sucked right back in. While X is in the underworld on a quest to find his mother and reunite with Zoe, she’s is back with her family and friends and worrying about X. I absolutely loved this couple and their devotion to one another. Neither lets anything or anyone stand in their way of protecting the other. And just like in the first book, the secondary characters are equally well written. The world building is amazing and readers get to see much more of the underworld, its inhabitants, and how it works. The story unfolds at a fast pace and the ending ties everything perfectly. My only disappointment is that this is the end. I find myself already missing the characters. I highly recommend this duology for teens and adult fans of YA paranormal. It’s original and creative and you won’t be able to prevent yourself from becoming attached to the characters.

 

 

The Sacrifice Box, by Martin Stewart (Blog Tour) ~ 4.0 Stars

Tags

Coming-of-age stories, Historical Fiction, Horror, Mystery, Thriller, YA Fiction

Thanks to a NetGalley and Viking Books for Young Readers for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review. 

Release Date: August 28th, 2018

368 Pages

Synopsis: A horror story about friendship, growing up, and finding a place in the world: Gremlins meets The Breakfast Club by way of Stephen King and Stranger Things.

1982, the summer before seventh grade. Five kids with nothing in common—Sep, Arkle, Hadley, Lamb, and Mack—become instant friends. On the last day of summer, they find a stone box buried in the forest, and each places an object inside to seal their friendship. And they make rules:

Never come to the box alone.

Never open it after dark.

Never take back your sacrifice.

1986, the summer before eleventh grade. The five haven’t spoken since that day in 1982. Sep has gone through the past four years alone and plans to escape to boarding school. But strange things are happening—mirrors are breaking unexpectedly, electricity is flickering in and out, and people are coming down with inexplicable physical ailments. 

Someone has broken the rules. And it seems the five committed more than objects to the box’s ancient stone—they gave it their deepest secrets and darkest fears, and now these are being returned in a flood of shambling corpses, murderous toys, and undead pets. The gang must reunite in an attempt to discover the secrets of the sacrifice box—and Sep might be the only one who can stem its tide of evil before it’s too late.

Before I give you my review of The Sacrifice Box, I have to give animal lovers fair warning: A LOT of them die in this book, and in some pretty gruesome ways. Humans do as well, but let’s be honest, it’s our fuzzy four-legged friends that we really hate seeing perish. What? I’m just saying what we’re all thinking! Anyway, if you have a problem with books like Stephen King’s Pet Semetary, then this twisted tale may not be for you.

 

Okay, now for the nitty gritty. As the premise states, The Sacrifice Box is part Stranger Things, part Breakfast Club, part Gremlins, and definitely has a mix of Stephen King—specifically Stand By Me, It, and Pet Semetary. This could have been a red hot derivative mess, but Martin Stewart takes all these elements and skillfully blends them into a nightmarish concoction that captured my attention so thoroughly I finished it in one sitting.

 

There were two issues I had which prevented me from giving this 5 stars. While I loved the main character September “Sep” Hope, I didn’t find the other characters quite as well rounded. There’s a lot of action going on in this story and it flips between different timelines, and I think that because there was so much happening, the characters’ development suffered a bit. My other problem was with the ending which I felt was too rushed and left a few loose ends. Because I’m a reader who likes her books to be neatly tied up, especially when they’re standalones, I was a little frustrated by this.

Despite these issues, I absolutely loved The Sacrifice Box and I think fans of hardcore horror will really enjoy this. The book is marketed as YA, but I would strongly recommend it for 16 year-olds and up due to all the blood, gore, and overall scariness of it. It’s an entertaining mix of terrifying horror and a poignant coming-of-age story that looks at love, friendship, and the secrets we all keep hidden deep within ourselves.

 

You’re probably wondering “Kim! What’s up with the creepy gifs?” Well, if you choose to read this let’s just say you might want to lock up any stuffed animals and dolls in the house. And you might want to keep an eye on your pets. Um, and be wary of birds, squirrels, deer, and…Just don’t go outside until you’ve recovered from reading this book!

About the Author:

Martin Stewart has previously worked as an English teacher, university lecturer, barman, recycling technician, and golf caddy. A native of Glasgow, he now lives on Scotland’s west coast with his wife, baby daughter, and a very big dog. He enjoys cooking with eggs, running on the beach, re-watching his favorite films, and buying books to feed his to-be-read pile. 

You can also find him here:

Twitter – https://mobile.twitter.com/martinjstewart

Goodreads – https://goodreads.com/author/show/238277.Martin_Stewart

Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/martin_j_stewart/

 

 

A Noise Downstairs, by Linwood Barclay ~ 4.5 Stars

Tags

Adult Fiction, Mystery, Psychological Thriller, Suspense

Thanks to Edelweiss and HarperCollins for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: Available Now

368 Pages

Synopsis: The New York Times bestselling author of No Time for Goodbye returns with a haunting psychological thriller that blends the twists and turns of Gillian Flynn with the driving suspense of Harlan Coben, in which a man is troubled by odd sounds for which there is no rational explanation.

College professor Paul Davis is a normal guy with a normal life. Until, driving along a deserted road late one night, he surprises a murderer disposing of a couple of bodies. That’s when Paul’s “normal” existence is turned upside down. After nearly losing his own life in that encounter, he finds himself battling PTSD, depression, and severe problems at work. His wife, Charlotte, desperate to cheer him up, brings home a vintage typewriter—complete with ink ribbons and heavy round keys—to encourage him to get started on that novel he’s always intended to write.

However, the typewriter itself is a problem. Paul swears it’s possessed and types by itself at night. But only Paul can hear the noise coming from downstairs. Charlotte doesn’t hear a thing. And she worries that he’s going off the rails.

Paul believe that the typewriter is somehow connected to the murderer he discovered nearly a year ago. The killer had made his victims type apologies to him before ending their lives. Has another sick twist of fate entwined his life with the killer—could this be the same machine? Increasingly tormented but determined to discover the truth and confront his nightmare, Paul begins investigating the deaths himself.

But that may not be the best thing to do. Maybe Paul should just take the typewriter back to where his wife found it. Maybe he should stop asking questions and simply walk away while he can…

I’m sorry my friends that this review is much shorter than usual, but I wanted to tell you how good A Noise Downstairs is. While the first half is slow burning suspense, the second half explodes into an action packed thriller. Just when I thought I had everything figured out, there would be a surprising twist that would prove me wrong. The biggest and most unusual  twist involves the main character and I thought it was a brilliant piece of writing by the author. This is a perfect popcorn book for the summer!

 

Maze Master: A Thriller, by Kathleen O’Neal Gear ~ 4.0 Stars

Tags

Adult Fiction, Mystery, Thriller

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

Release Date: Available Now

352 Pages

Synopsis: LucentB is a retrovirus that’s inevitable, unstoppable, and utterly catastrophic for humanity. The US government believes the only person who can find the cure is the geneticist who tried to warn them and then disappeared: James Hakari. They assign the task of finding him to his former student Anna Asher, who in turn recruits paleographer and religious studies scholar Dr. Martin Nadai.

The brilliant but insane geneticist is leaving clues for Anna and Martin to follow, showing he’s truly earned his students’ nickname for him: the Maze Master. The search takes Anna and Martin around the world and into a warzone they never imagined.

Maze Master’s LucentB is based off of the real retrovirus HERV-K, which has caused several plagues over the past 75,000 years, almost wiping out the Neanderthals 50,000 years ago, and maybe 30,000 years ago. Modern geneticists consider HERV-K not to be extinct, but rather waiting for some trigger to come alive again.

With it scientific and archaeological authenticity and suspenseful clues, Maze Master will have readers rushing through its intricate maze to find out the fate of the world in this thrilling adventure.

I do like a good apocalyptic thriller and while Maze Master had a couple of issues, it was an engaging and quick read. 

While the premise isn’t exactly original, Gear proves why she’s a bestselling author by turning this into a thrilling treasure hunt. Clues are sprinkled throughout the tale and tantalizing secrets are revealed, but I was still kept guessing for most of the book. 

The biggest issue I had was with the characters. I found them dry and their personalities not developed enough. However, the mystery and action made this less of a problem than it ordinarily would have been. 

Overall, Maze Master is an exciting story that I think fans of Michael Crichton and Dan Brown will enjoy. As always, I’m looking forward to seeing what Kathleen O’Neal Gear comes up with next.