Tag: ghost story

Incidents Around the House by Josh Malerman Review

On By authoranthonyavinablogIn reviewsLeave a comment

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own. 

A young girl begins questioning the motives of the woman who secretly visits her in author Josh Malerman’s “Incidents Around the House.”

Advertisements

The Synopsis

To eight-year-old Bela, her family is her world. There’s Mommy, Daddo, and Grandma Ruth. But there is also Other Mommy, a malevolent entity who asks her every day: “Can I go inside your heart?”

When horrifying incidents around the house signal that Other Mommy is growing tired of asking Bela the question over and over, Bela understands that unless she says yes, her family will soon pay.

Other Mommy is getting restless, stronger, bolder. Only the bonds of family can keep Bela safe, but other incidents show cracks in her parents’ marriage. The safety Bela relies on is about to unravel.

But Other Mommy needs an answer.

Incidents Around the House is a chilling, wholly unique tale of true horror about a family as haunted as their home.

Grafton Mini Pen

The Review

I know this book was released last year, but it has been one of my most anticipated reads in recent years, and I couldn’t think of a better time to review it than now, on Halloween. This was definitely one of the scariest reads that I’ve had the pleasure of reading in years. Not since the first time I read Stephen King’s It have I felt such chills, and what made this book stand out was the perspective from which the story was told —through the eyes of a young child. The protagonist, Bela, is innocent and clearly struggling through a great deal in this story. Readers will instantly connect to her unique viewpoint and desperation to keep her family together and safe, while experiencing the confusion and pain that this situation rightfully causes.

Yet Other Mommy steals the show as one of literature’s newest yet most haunting horror creatures. Not a typical ghost story, this haunted house meets paranormal horror story brings to life a being whose name not only instills dread from the outset, but whose appearance constantly shifts, and for which each subsequent appearance becomes increasingly unsettling. By the time the parents of Bela begin to take notice of Other Mommy, things have taken quite a dark turn. The imagery and atmosphere she conveys in this story send chills down the reader’s spine. The tension builds quickly as the ghost of this story soon becomes a hungry monster, and every tactic the parents try to protect their child leads to more dire consequences.

The Verdict

An emotionally compelling and gripping horror thriller, author Josh Malerman’s “Incidents Around the House” is a must-read for this Halloween. The twists and turns this story takes, the time the author takes to balance the scares out with deep human connection and shocking revelations between the two parents, and the hopeful yet frightful journey Bela takes as Other Mommy’s true purpose comes to life, will stay with readers long after the book ends. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab your copy today!

Rating: 10/10

Advertisements

About the Author

Josh Malerman is a New York Times best selling author and one of two singer/songwriters for the rock band The High Strung, whose song “The Luck You Got” can be heard as the theme song to the Showtime show “Shameless”. His book Bird Box was made into a Netflix film of the same name, starring Sandra Bullock and John Malkovich. He has been nominated for 10 Bram Stoker Awards and has written 40 books, many of those (14) prior to the publication of Bird Box, his debut. Incidents Around the House is his 13th published book. He lives in Michigan with his fiancee, the artist/musician Allison Laakko and their many brilliant pets.

Home

https://amzn.to/3LfxISy

http://barnesandnoble.com/w/incidents-around-the-house-josh-malerman/1144178178?ean=9780593723128

Ghost Dreams by Matthew Hughes Review

On By authoranthonyavinablogIn reviewsLeave a comment

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own. 

A thief comes into contact with the spirit of a woman who lost her child when she was wrongfully thrust into an asylum for her inheritance in the 1940s, and together with his daughter they must contend with her vengeful spirit and the men who wronged her in life in order to uncover the truth behind her child’s fate in author Matthew Hughes’s “Ghost Dreams”.

Advertisements

The Synopsis

Commercial burglar Stan Winkelman encounters the ghost of Jane Manchester, wrongly confined for life in a 1940s insane asylum by a powerful family. She wants to know what happened to Harmon, the baby boy that was stolen from her.

Aided by Jeannie, his ghost-obsessed autistic daughter, Stan and Jane begin a quest to find Harmon, or his descendants. But their search will run them afoul of Andrew Bigelow, reclusive heir to the fortune Jane was robbed of.

And Bigelow is in cahoots with a murderous crew who deal in guns and blood diamonds and will stop at nothing to keep their crimes hidden.

Stan uses his burglar skills to uncover the truth, but that will draw him and Jeannie into a deadly confrontation, with the vengeful spirit of Jane Manchester his only ally. 

The Review

This was a brilliant and powerful story. The blend of crime thriller, mystery, and horror that this story infuses into itself was captivating to read. The heavy atmosphere and compelling chemistry between the cast of characters made this feel like the perfect modern-day gothic ghost story, with a tone that felt like it could have easily fit into a more Victorian-era period if not for the modern-day Washington setting. 

The heart of this narrative had to be in the mystery components of the story and the character development, especially for the protagonist. The complexity of the protagonist’s background and journey, from a thief and morally questionable history to his somewhat heroic turn to find justice and answers for the spirit of this young woman and how they bond together in the face of this tragic backstory, made this a thrilling read. The shocking series of events that unearth the truth behind not only Jane’s history but the truth behind Bigelow’s life, in general, will keep readers hanging off of the author’s every word.

The Verdict

Thought-provoking, chilling, and entertaining, author Matthew Hughes’s “Ghost Dreams” is a must-read crime thriller and horror mystery read. The twists and turns in the narrative help elevate the character growth of the protagonist and the cast of characters greatly, and readers will be invested heavily as the story and mystery unravel over time. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab your copy today!

Rating: 10/10

Advertisements

About the Author

Born in Liverpool, his family moved to Canada when he was five years old. Married since late 1960s, he has three grown sons. He is currently relocated to Britain. He is a former director of the Federation of British Columbia Writers.

A university drop-out from a working poor background, he worked in a factory that made school desks, drove a grocery delivery truck, was night janitor in a GM dealership, and did a short stint as an orderly in a private mental hospital. As a teenager, he served a year as a volunteer with the Company of Young Canadians.

He has made his living as a writer all of his adult life, first as a journalist in newspapers, then as a staff speechwriter to the Canadian Ministers of Justice and Environment, and, since 1979, as a freelance corporate and political speechwriter in British Columbia.

His short fiction has appeared in Alfred Hitchcock’s, Asimov’s, The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, Postscripts, Interzone, and a number of “Year’s Best” anthologies. Night Shade Books published his short story collection, The Gist Hunter and Other Stories, in 2005.

He has won the Arthur Ellis Award from the Crime Writers of Canada. His novels and stories regularly make the Locus Magazine annual recommended reading list. 

http://www.matthewhughes.org/

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0BNLXQNQ7/ref=x_gr_w_glide_sin?caller=Goodreads&callerLink=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.goodreads.com%2Fbook%2Fshow%2F63894559-ghost-dreams%3Fac%3D1%26from_search%3Dtrue%26qid%3DUfAc7G1LF2%26rank%3D1&tag=x_gr_w_glide_sin-20

The Haunting of Barry’s Lodge by Annie Walters

On By authoranthonyavinablogIn reviewsLeave a comment

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

A modern day classic horror story comes to brilliant life in author Annie Walter’s novel The Haunting of Barry’s Lodge. A blend of old school ghost stories with psychological horror, this book takes readers on a whirlwind journey through one terrifying week in the life of an aspiring writer. Here’s the synopsis:

Alfred, a washed-up author, plagued by failures can’t believe his luck when his father-in-law, Frank, provides him with a chance that he direly craved for:

Seven days alone in an isolated Motel with the task of finishing his upcoming book!

But little does he know about the Motel’s unsavory history. Hidden in the copse of trees and about 400 miles away from his home in the dark forest of Skiddaw, it is a two-storey facade with twisting, malevolent chimneys and an eerie allure.Lack of WI-FI, poor signals and weird set of rules, the dark atmosphere soon turns his seemingly idyllic trip into a living nightmare. Apart from the usual creaks, groans, and moans of the crumbling structure, he soon finds himself face to face with an entity. An urban legend that is lurking in the woods long before the Motel found its existing foundations.

The Motel’s dark and haunting history quickly becomes tangled with Alfred’s life as he frantically searches for answers. Barry, the caretaker is hiding something. But what is it? Is there someone else living in the motel beside him? Or is the caretaker not what he seemingly appears?

Alfred quickly begins to lose his tenuous grip on reality as he sinks further and further into an intricately designed game of deceit and lies that might put his life in danger! Or is he a threat to himself and everybody around him?

The Haunting at Barry’s Lodge is a full-length novel of a riveting ghost story and a third edition by the author, Annie Walters, previously published as Barry’s Lodge A Haunting.

This was a fantastic new horror story. Playing on the classic themes of psychological terror and spine-chilling ghost stories, readers will be on the edge of their seat as they try to find out who Alfred can trust, and what is coming for him in this strange and eerie motel. The book was fast paced and drew the reader in with it’s vivid imagery and haunting backstory. Expertly crafted to paint an image in your mind, the story takes readers through the darkest corners of Barry’s Lodge, keeping the reader on their toes as friends become enemies and salvation may be a trap for Alfred.

Overall this was a fantastic story. Building a modern day classic, author Annie Walters has done an expert job of bringing this story to life. With a shocking twist ending, horror fans will not want to miss this brand new adventure. Be sure to pick up your copies of The Haunting of Barry’s Lodge today!

Rating: 10/10