Category: #horror

The Forest of Missing Girls

~ Lisa Helm ~ Leave a comment

by Nichelle Giraldes

This book is a creepy hybrid where young women go missing and the community comes together to track down their kidnapper, or worse yet a serial killer and a supernatural science fiction novel (I’d reference a novel in particular but then I would be hugely spoiling the plot). 

The novel starts with Lia Gregg returning home to her mother, Elizabeth, and her sister, Evie, to their little house in the woods. Her father is there too, but he seems disengaged from his family and, well, is basically disengaged from the entire plot, to be honest. Lia has experienced a breakup with her boyfriend, and she’s feeling a little lost. Soon after her arrival, Evie and her friend Maddie are hanging out in the backyard when Maddie disappears. Maddie’s disappearance immediately causes concern because, for years now, young girls have been mysteriously disappearing from the area. 

Soon, we, the readers, come across a chapter written from a different point of view. We are suddenly experiencing an alternative plot from the viewpoint of a very confused girl. Could she be Maddie? Could she be another one of the numerous girls who have gone missing? All we know is that she is absolutely clueless about who and where she is. All she knows is that there is this woman named “Mother” who is caring for her.

I was really entertained by this novel. It is a puzzle, and as soon as I started putting together the pieces, when all of a sudden a picture started forming, I couldn’t wait to see what the picture looked like in its entirety. 

I would have a problem with the science-fiction/supernatural element of this novel, but Giraldes skillfully weaves it into her storyline.

A great book to add to your Christmas reading list!!

Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press and Netgalley for the copy.

What Stalks the Deep

~ Lisa Helm ~ Leave a comment

by T. Kingfisher

I’m beginning to really love the Sworn Soldier Series. I find our intrepid hero Alex Easton brave, highly intelligent, and wonderfully funny. They also have the most fascinating backstory, of which I would love to read more about (T Kingfisher, please write a novel about Alex’s childhood up until they become a soldier!).

Poor Alex seems to find themselves consistently thrown into a situation that includes creepy creatures and/or the supernatural. These situations do NOT help in overcoming the PTSD that comes with fighting a land war. 

This time, Alex travels to the United States because their friend Dr Denton (whom we met in the first book of the series) needs their help finding his cousin. Denton’s cousin has unfortunately gone missing in the depths of a mine, of all places. Upon their investigation, they encounter gruesome, inexplicable goings on that ultimately have all those involved questioning their involvement. 

I really liked this novel (as I always do with Kingfisher), albeit it’s not my favourite in the series. I found it very brief and would love to have more time with the characters. 

Thank you to Netgalley and Tor Publishing for the copy

This Vicious Hunger

~ Lisa Helm ~ Leave a comment

by Francesca May

Francesca May

This Vicious Hunger, a Victorian Gothic novel, weaves a unique narrative that resonates with the themes of Grim’s Fairy Tales and Dracula.
Thora Grieve is the daughter of an academic, a man who happens to also be an undertaker. Although Thora is a brilliant young woman herself, she is obliged to marry soon after her father’s death. Fortunately, her husband dies mere months after the wedding, and her mother-in-law informs her that she had kept a secret: an invitation to go to the city and study under the tutelage of an eccentric, renowned botanist who was experimenting with the power and potency of plants.
As a woman, Thora is not allowed to live on campus, so her mentor finds a room for her at the top of an old building with a window that overlooks a beautiful garden. Soon, Thora observes a beautiful woman visiting the garden, tending to the various flowers and trees. Thora is unable to enter the garden because the gate is locked. So she introduces herself to the mysterious woman whose name is Olea. Olea refuses entry to Thora because she claims the plants she tends are extremely toxic and that she herself has developed a tolerance to their poison.
Thor begins to feel an unsettling attraction to Olea and soon craves her company. 
Also, Thora realised that her mentor is importing dangerous plants from exotic countries with nefarious intent.
As the story unfolds, Thora finds herself caught in a web of unfamiliar desires and ambitions. She begins to lose not only control but also seems a victim of her own impulses and desires. The cost of this loss is high-it could mean the sacrifice of scientific discovery, the loss of a one true love, or even the loss of her own self.
Despite the occasional pacing issues, I found This Vicious Hunger to be a compelling read. While some parts felt drawn out, the novel’s narrative kept me engaged throughout.

Thank you to Orbit Books and Netgalley for the copy.

The Haunting of Hecate Cavendish

~ Lisa Helm ~ Leave a comment

By Paula Brackston

Ok, I LOVED this book. I loved the setting, I loved the atmosphere, I loved the characters, and I especially loved the writing. 
The novel takes place in England in the late 1880s, and Hecate goes to work at Hereford Cathedral to assist the librarian in sorting and caring for the cathedral’s extensive collection of books. Upon her arrival, Hecate soon discovers she can communicate with ghosts, and the Hereford Cathedral is riddled with ghosts! Hecate shares her gift with her father, who (being a scholarly man himself, somewhat knowledgeable in archaeology and the occult) is incredibly supportive of his daughter. 
All is well in the village until suddenly a murder occurs, and then another and then….
Hecate learns through her communication with the ghosts and her study of artefacts buried deep in the cathedral walls that a dark force has been unearthed and is beginning to wreak havoc upon the villagers. 
This novel has magic and mystery. It is a ghost story with fantastical creatures. The plot is detailed and intriguing, and the characters are engaging and interesting. Most of all, Brackston is a skilled writer with beautifully crafted prose.
It is always a treat to find a novel that not only entertains its readers with a compelling plot but can also serve as a mentor text for word choice and sentence structure. 
There is now a second novel in this series, called The Cathedral of Lost Souls, which will be published in November that I CANNOT wait to read.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for the copy.

The Wretched and Undone

~ Lisa Helm ~ Leave a comment

By J. E. Weiner

My favourite genre lately has been Victorian Gothic. However, I have also enjoyed a good Southern Gothic novel on occasion, and The Wretched and Undone is another I can add to my list.

Polish Immigrants Marcin and Agnieska Anderwald make their way to Texas to build a new life. The frontier obviously is not for the weak, and sure enough, the Anderwald family suffers hardship of war, poverty and death. Marcin eventually has to leave Agnieska and the children on the homestead and travel to Camp Verde to make money using his carpentry skills, abandoning his emotionally fragile wife in the meantime. At Camp Verde, Marcin is indirectly responsible for the death of a soldier who causes a vengeful ghost who promises to haunt the Alderson family over generations.

This novel isn’t just filled with spirits and vengefulness; it also features an array of fascinating characters, including two camel handlers from Egypt and a muster of peacocks and peahens whose cacophonous cries serve as wards against threat. 

I enjoyed the plot and characters presented in this novel, and Weiner’s writing craft is engaging and masterful.

Trigger warnings of drowning of a child, hangings, and torture. 

Thank you to HTF Publishing and Netgalley for the copy.

The Farm House

~ Lisa Helm ~ Leave a comment

by Chelsea Conradt

After her mother’s death, Emily Hauk moves from her city life in San Francisco to a rural farmhouse in Nebraska. A change that would hopefully help her grieve her loss as well as slow down from the hustle and bustle of life. After all, it was easy for her husband and herself to work from home. Here, they can plant a garden, go for long walks, and listen to the silence. As an avid runner, she could run for miles and miles without worrying about the obstacles of urban life.
The idyllic lifestyle Emily wishes to create for herself isn’t quite as easy to create as she had hoped. Emily soon realizes that the farm isn’t exactly as it seems; the barn appears to move independently, its distance from the house increasing and decreasing daily. Strange lights appear in the barn in the middle of the night when no one should be on the premises, and on top of it all, Emily starts hearing voices and, more disturbingly, finding human teeth on the property. Still, unfortunately, her husband doesn’t take her seriously, and neither does the local sheriff. Eventually, Emily becomes aware of the farm’s violent history, which explains the unsettling experiences she undergoes.
The Farm House is a ghost story, a psychological thriller, and a crime story rolled into one. It is a perfect addition to your summer reading list!

Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press and Netgalley for the copy.

What Feasts At Night (Sworn Soldier Series #2)

~ Lisa Helm ~ Leave a comment

by T. Kingfisher

As a huge fan of the first book in the Sworn Soldier series, What Moves the Dead, I was so excited to read this second novella and see what adventures befall Alex Easton after their nightmarish experience at the Usher Estate (review here). 
Alex and their loyal, albeit grumpy valet Angus return home to Gallacia, specifically to the family hunting lodge. They are motivated mostly by their new friend Mrs Potter (whom we met in the previous novella) ‘s desire to study the mushrooms indigenous to the Gallacian mountains. 
What was hoped to be a leisurely and restful vacation is anything but. First of all, the caretaker of the lodge has unexpectedly died a mysterious death. No one in the village, especially the caretaker’s daughter, wishes to talk about the circumstances of his death…but his death is clouded by superstition and terror. As well, Alex is plagued by a recurring nightmare of a ghoulish woman who sits on their chest and steals their breath. This nightmare conveniently plays into the local superstition of the moroi.
Not one for superstition, Alex, Angus, and Mrs Potter (who is a woman of science, after all) are determined to come to a more logical understanding of Alex’s nightmares, which turns out to be more difficult than they first believed.
I so enjoy Kingfisher’s writing. I especially like the Sworn Soldier series (so far), which are both charming yet horrifying at the same time. A delightful combination!

Thank you to Netgalley and Tor Publishing for the copy!

Victorian Psycho

~ Lisa Helm ~ Leave a comment

by Virgina Feito

Okay, I’ll admit, I found this novel disturbingly entertaining. If you’re squeamish about blood, body horror, and violence towards children and adults, this book is not for you. It’s a darkly funny, gory, and disturbing read, with not a single sympathetic character in sight. Yet, I was so engrossed in the depravity of the characters, particularly our main character, Winifred Notty, that I couldn’t put it down, finishing it in a single day.

Basically, poor Nanny Notty suffered a traumatic childhood, which could be seen as a contributing factor towards her psychopathy; however, I felt as though she was also a creature of nature and not purely nurture. Winifred finds work as a nanny in a wealthy household where the children are as horrendous as the children. The plot is somewhat limited, and I believe it basically exists to develop the characters in such a way that makes us, the reader, not at all sad to see them die. It is written from Winifred’s point of view, and her thoughts are amusing because she is such a wry, condescending character.

Theme? Basically, it’s a story of a poor, underprivileged woman who gets a chance to exact rage and resentment against the societal group that has historically repressed and abused her, and her revenge is gloriously bloody.

Apparently this novel is being made into a movie!

Thank you to Netgalley and Liveright/Norton for the copy.