I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.
A schoolteacher hiding a dark secret finds her two worlds colliding in author Constantinos Koumontzis’s “She Looks Like Fun.”
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The Synopsis
Ann Bonny hides beneath the façade of an innocent schoolteacher in Chicago but spends her nights a call girl. She masquerades herself through an online escort service to carry out her violent desires. Her two worlds collide one night as her dark tendencies cross paths with her ‘normal’ life. Miss Bonny is about to spiral into madness while trying to keep her two lives from combusting.
The Review
This was a compelling, gripping psychological thriller. The suspense and drama of the narrative create a sense of tension from the get, allowing readers to feel as if they are hanging over the edge of a rooftop, their heart in their throat, with every twist and turn in Ann’s story. The vivid imagery in the author’s writing style and the haunting atmosphere the storyline brought to life were very cinematic, keeping the reader engaged with this cast of characters throughout the narrative.
The powerful, driven character arcs and the novel’s dynamic themes really brought the whole thing together. Ann is a complex character, often balancing her work and social life to maintain her cover, with her nightlife activities a constant struggle. In one breath, she can be completely dumbfounded by the idea of a “happy hour” hang while easily able to plan out a gruesome crime. The concept of hidden secrets and of not fully knowing a person or their motives, while also exploring morality and justice in a society that often overlooks those who need them most, made this thriller stand out.
The Verdict
A haunting and chilling blend of horror, thriller, and suspense that evokes a tone similar to Breaking Bad, Dexter, and Killing Eve, author Constantinos Koumontzis’s “She Looks Like Fun” is a must-read psychological thriller for the fall season. The twists and turns this story takes and the cliffhanger finale are perfectly set up thanks to strong characters and complex narratives and themes that challenge the reader’s perspective several times throughout the novel. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab your copy today!
Rating: 10/10
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About the Author
Constantinos Koumontzis graduated from DePaul University Chicago with a Creative Writing bachelor’s degree in liberal arts. He was awarded the Mary Zavada writing endowment and honed his craft while studying abroad in London at the University of Westminster. He produced the short film “Touch” in 2024 and currently lives and writes in Los Angeles. “She Looks Like Fun” is his first novel.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.
A woman desperately searches for the identity of a local serial killer as her town is plunged into chaos in author Audrey Zeigon’s “The Pinewood Prowler.”
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The Synopsis
The small town of Pinewood is drowning in fear. Fourteen dead. No suspects. A killer who strikes without leaving a trace.
Nicole Kieth refuses to sit by while her community is torn apart. Determined to unmask the monster hiding in plain sight, she begins to hunt the hunter. But the killer is always one step ahead—calculating, patient, and watching her every move.
As the body count rises, Nicole faces a chilling question: Can she expose the murderer before she becomes the next name on his list?
The Review
A compelling new voice in the horror sphere, author Audrey Zeigon delivers an incredible, fast-paced yet layered and chilling reading experience. The exploration of how a small town and its citizens can be affected by the unknown killer stalking their streets was artfully crafted here, as readers got a personal look at the tension and mistrust the protagonist began to develop toward everyone around her as she sought the killer’s identity. The imagery in the author’s writing was powerful and allowed readers to feel the terror and emotions that ran through the minds of the victims as the killer struck.
The driving force behind this novel was the character development of both the protagonist and the killer. The alternating chapters depicting the protagonist’s investigation and the killer’s final moments with the victims highlighted the drive of both characters so perfectly. The haunting reality of the killer and their motivations remained a mystery for much of the book, lending their actions an almost legendary, mythical quality and making them a local legend in the process.
The Verdict
Thrilling, entertaining, and haunting, author Audrey Zeigon’s “The Pinewood Prowler” is a 2025 instant horror classic, perfect for the fall and spooky season readers find themselves in. The Pinewood Prowler is an instigating and scary new force to be reckoned with in the serial killer genre, and the twists and turns the investigation takes for the protagonist, along with the horrifying final chapters, will stay with readers long after the book ends. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab your copy today!
Rating: 10/10
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About the Author
Audrey Zeigon was born in 2010 in New York City. From an early age, she developed a strong passion for reading and horror. These interests inspired her to write her debut novel, The Pinewood Prowler. Audrey has enjoyed immersing herself in this story and looks forward to sharing it with her readers.
Today on my blog I’m excited to feature Barry Maher’s darkly comic supernatural thriller, The Great Dick: And the Dysfunctional Demon. If you love stories that bend reality, dive into the occult, and keep you turning pages late into the night, you won’t want to miss this one.
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SYNOPSIS
In 1982, failed songwriter Steve Witowski is running from both the law and his past when a reckless act of heroism—saving a woman from a brutal assault—pulls him into a world far darker than he ever imagined. That woman, Victoria, has just purchased a decaying church steeped in sinister history, and with her comes a web of occult rituals, crypts, and grave-robbing secrets that refuse to stay buried. As Steve becomes entangled in her dangerous world, the presence of a desperate demon closes in, blurring the line between delusion and reality. Haunted by visions, hunted by forces he refuses to believe in, and marked by the face of the man he killed, Steve is dragged deeper into a nightmare of dark magic, betrayal, and blood-soaked revelations where survival may cost him his soul.
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EXCERPT
Back in the 60s . . .
On Wednesday October 13th, 1968, a faculty panel recommended the dismissal of Professor John Harris—in absentia, as no one at Harvard had seen or heard from him in weeks. Harris later bragged about delivering his final lecture on “one shitload and a half of LSD.” According to the recording made available to the faculty panel, this was the sum total of that lecture:
“Good afternoon. Wow. American Literature, hunh? Let’s see. Moby Dick today. Right?”
“Moby Dick?” asked a confused voice. “No. What happened to The Scarlet Letter?”
“Right. Moby Dick,” Harris continued. “Great book. None of you have read it. None of you are going to read it. Nobody ever does. What you need to understand is that as far as I’m concerned—and I’m the fucking professor—Moby Dick is the same story as The Great Gatsby, which some of you may read. I call it, ‘the half-assed struggle of the individual to put their world to rights in the face of a failure that threatens to define their life.’ I think that’s from my thesis. Though maybe it’s not pretentious enough.”
Harris laughed. “Hey! How about this? Great Gatsby/Moby Dick: same story, different era, right? So, if someone someday tries to write that story for this generation, they should call it The Great Dick. That’d be perfect, wouldn’t it? The Great Dick. Alright, that’s got to be almost fifty minutes. See you next . . . whenever. Wow.”
SUNDAY, MARCH 21, 1982 Two Women and One Corpse
“Any fool can tell the truth, but it requires a man of some sense to lie well.” —Samuel Johnson
CHAPTER 1
Okay, let me start out by admitting that I was an asshole. I know that. The ludicrous amount of fame and acclaim and money I’ve had dumped on me since that time only makes it more glaring. The fact that we lived in a different world back in 1982 is no excuse. It was the same world. It just wasn’t the world we thought it was.
I remember it was a Sunday night. Sundays always feel different. Looking back now and Googling a 1982 calendar, I’d guess it was Sunday, March 21st. I remember waking up and within minutes making the decision to leave. Quickly, before I could change my mind, I eased myself out of the rickety hide-a-bed.
Immediately, Maria rolled over into the spot I’d just vacated, breathing loudly through her nose and mouth, not quite snoring. I hate to say it, but she looked every minute of her thirty years. Her thick dark hair clung damply to her face; her heavy arms stretched outward. The cast on her left wrist looked like a giant manacle.
The grandfather clock beside the cigar store Indian read 1:37, though a few minutes before, it had chimed four times. That made as much sense as anything else in my life. I was thirty-five years old, a Harvard grad who’d spent the previous two years faking his way through a $13,500 a year job as a territory rep for the Richmond Tobacco company. That $13,500 was the most money I’d ever made. You’re probably thinking that when you adjust for inflation and translate that $13,500 into today’s dollars, it’s a lot more impressive.
No, it’s not.
I slipped on my jersey and my jeans and gathered the rest of my things in my old gym bag. Fortunately, enough moonlight crept in around the edges of the tattered drapes to give the room a dim glow. I wondered if it would be safe to hitchhike out of there, or if Indiana had already notified the California Highway Patrol that I was wanted.
My situation was bad. But not bad enough to, say, crawl into a grave with a rotting corpse.
That would come later.
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GUEST BLOG POST
Where Do You Get Your Ideas from?
A while back, I was speaking on an Asian cruise when I realized I could no longer figure out what the hands of the clock meant. The next day, during a session, I introduced the ship’s captain. Twenty minutes later I picked him out of the audience and asked him what he did for a living. (The uniform did look a tad familiar.) That same day, I gave up trying to understand foreign currency. Even American money was getting tricky. In Viet Nam, I handed a vendor two hundreds and a five for a $7.00 baseball cap. It was a very nice cap.
Back home, the first thing my doctor did was have me draw a clock face at ten to three. The second thing he did was take away my driver’s license. Then he sent me for an immediate MRI. The nurse there wouldn’t comment on the results, but when I asked where the restroom was, she said, “I can’t let you go in there alone.”
I explained that bathroom visitation was a particular expertise of mine.
“Like telling time?” she asked. “You need to talk to your neurosurgeon.”
“I have a neurosurgeon?” Just what I always wanted.
I also had a brain tumor—the size of a basketball. Or maybe the neurosurgeon said “baseball.” I wasn’t tracking too well at that point. Still, I quickly grasped he was planning on carving open my skull with a power saw.
“I don’t really need to tell time,” I said. “Or I can just buy a digital watch.”
Everyone said my neurosurgeon—or, as I thought of him, “Chainsaw Charlie”—was brilliant. My problem was that I’ve spent my life around intelligent people, and I’ve always believed human intelligence was overrated. To me, on a scale of everything there is to know in the universe, the main difference between Einstein and Koko the Wonder Chimp was that Einstein couldn’t pick up bananas with his feet. (As far as I know.)
Still, I went under the knife—or in this case, the power saw. Maybe I had a seizure. The doctors weren’t sure. That might explain what happened. Because I came out of the surgery with Lady Gaga singing non-stop in my head and an unforgettably vivid story, like a memory of something that I’d just witnessed.
Reacting to the intrusion, I suppose my brain could have given me Citizen Kane or a nice rom/com or a few episodes of Seinfeld. Instead I got open crypts, bizarre spells, sudden death and the Ralph Lauren version of the Manson Family. “How did my operation go? Well, I’m doing well, but the people in my head—or wherever they were—they went through Hell.”
Lady Gaga went away after a day or so. But the story stayed with me. And when I was able, I spent a couple of years putting it all down, working it out, trying to get it just right. And that became The Great Dick: And the Dysfunctional Demon.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Barry Maher’s career has been anything but ordinary. He’s been an award-winning (if modestly so) poet, a magazine writer with bylines across the country, a speaker for some of the world’s largest corporations, and a man who once lived literally on the beach, seagulls and all. His syndicated column Slightly Off-Kilter and his darkly comic fiction reflect that same unpredictable spirit. Media appearances range from The Today Show to CNBC, with features in The Wall Street Journal and even Funeral Service Insider. Connect with him at BarryMaher.com or on Facebook.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.
A failed songwriter on the run finds himself ensnared in a chilling supernatural conspiracy in author Barry Maher’s “The Great Dick and the Dysfunction Demon.”
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The Synopsis
It’s 1982. Steve Witowski, a failed songwriter on the run from the law, finds himself caught in a supernatural thriller after an apparently innocent act of heroism—saving a woman from a vicious assault by a seemingly unstoppable wino. The woman, Victoria, is just part of a mystery Steve can’t unravel. Even as he’s looting the decomposing dead for the secrets of a self-proclaimed sorcerer. Even as he plummets into a nightmare of fire and blood and murder. Even then, Steve remains certain the sorcerer’s spells, the occult rituals—the supposed demons and supernatural horror—are simply delusion and fantasy. Steve is wrong.
Victoria, who has just bought a dilapidated church with a haunting past, entangles Steve in a deadly game of dark magic and rituals. As,unknown to him, the demon grows desperate, Steve plunges deeper into a world of crypts, grave robbing, and long-forgotten secrets, all while trying to escape his own haunted past. But when the face of the man Steve killed appears on his arm, the line between reality and nightmare begins to blur.
This supernatural novel will leave you on the edge of your seat, with wickedly funny dark humor and, ultimately, pulse-pounding suspense, as Steve and Victoria navigate a twisted adventure full of occult horror, supernatural suspense, and shocking revelations.
The Review
This was a fantastic horror novel. The author did an incredible job of capturing the campy 80s supernatural and occult vibes that the genre was known for during that era, while also infusing humor and wit into the character arcs and dialogue. The suspense plays well in this narrative, initially seeming more like a thriller before slowly peeling back the layers and delving into the dark heart of characters readers have known throughout their lives.
The dynamic character development and supernatural mythology explored in the book are what make it so engaging. The book delves into occult rituals and witchcraft lore, while also blending psychological horror and other elements into the narrative. The story is very adult-driven, with bloody imagery and heated sexual tension laced throughout the narrative, and the climactic final chapters will keep readers tense as these characters come crashing together in ways no one could have seen coming.
The Verdict
Dynamic, entertaining, and compelling, author Barry Maher’s “The Great Dick and the Dysfunctional Demon” is a must-read campy horror and occult novel. The twists and turns, the chilling atmosphere, and the captivating characters will blend well into the upcoming spooky season and do well with audiences who are rediscovering films such as Witchboard this holiday season. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab your copy today!
Rating: 10/10
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About the Author
Barry Maher’s career has been anything but ordinary. He’s been an award-winning (if modestly so) poet, a magazine writer with bylines across the country, a speaker for some of the world’s largest corporations, and a man who once lived literally on the beach, seagulls and all. His syndicated column Slightly Off-Kilter and his darkly comic fiction reflect that same unpredictable spirit. Media appearances range from The Today Show to CNBC, with features in The Wall Street Journal and even Funeral Service Insider. Connect with him at BarryMaher.com or on Facebook.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.
The sole survivor of a zombie outbreak in a small town must work with an elite unit to face an even deadlier threat in author Jason Kristopher’s “END”, the first in The Dying of the Light series.
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The Synopsis
When 1,500 people die in Fall Creek’s zombie outbreak—including his fiancée—bookseller David Blake becomes the sole survivor. His escape catches the attention of AEGIS, an elite military unit that’s been secretly fighting the undead since 1873.
The truth is terrifying: walkers have been here for over a century. The government has been lying. And now the infection is evolving—turning victims in minutes instead of hours.
Recruited as a civilian consultant, David joins Major Kimberly Barnes and her squad of hardened soldiers. But as outbreaks multiply and humanity teeters on the edge, he discovers the walking dead might be the least of their problems.
The Review
I am a big fan of zombie apocalypse, dystopian-level horror novels, and this book was such a unique and compelling new direction to take the genre. Immediately, I was drawn into the massive world-building that the narrative takes, sharing a creative direction of taking the outbreak of zombies back hundreds of years, and showing the sudden evolution of the virus that brings about the apocalypse. How government agencies have tried to hide this outbreak for years added a fun conspiracy element to this horror thriller that will stay with readers.
The depth of character development really was the driving force behind this story. The chemistry between the two protagonists, David and Kim, and their individual losses and traumas from their experiences made this such an emotionally driven narrative, and it helps balance out the novel with the heavy action sequences and horror elements. The detail the author poured into this story, too, from the different outbreak classifications and military systems, to the differing types of zombies and how the virus reacts in other people, made this feel like a cinematic quality experience in novel form.
The Verdict
Intense, character-driven, and entertaining, author Jason Kristopher’s “END” is a must-read zombie horror meets conspiracy thriller novel and a grand first entry in the Dying of the Light series. The twists and turns the story takes, the heartfelt and emotional balance to the action, and the unique ending that is both bleak and yet hopeful in many ways, make this a compelling zombie horror novel to get lost in. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab your copy today!
Rating: 10/10
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About the Author
Jason Kristopher is the award-winning author terrifying readers with zombies in THE DYING OF THE LIGHT, thrilling them with 1940s noir in LOCO MOCO, and harrowing them with boy-meets-gryphon-meets-robot adventure in WHEN IRON WAKES. With the love of his life and the dog that rescued him by his side, he plots his next traumatizing stories from Florida beaches.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.
The Witch King and his supernatural army descend on a group of human survivors as a woman and her allies search for relics that could defeat the unrelenting army of the undead in author Alan McGill’s “From The Dark Forest Hence They Came”, the third book in the A Cry In The Moon’s Light series.
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The Synopsis
The Witch King and his Undead Army lay siege to Castle Parlimae. A deep ravine and high walls keep them at bay but evil does not give up so easily. Silver ammunition runs low, forcing Colonel Voelker to make an uneasy alliance as he awaits reinforcements.
Alessandra and her companions search the Dark Forest for a holy relic to defeat the undead. They arrive in Port Calibre to find it has been infiltrated by night creatures. And when the Black Fleet sails into the harbor, they barely escape with their lives.
More trouble awaits as they return to the City of Trevordeaux. The Witch King’s creatures loom amongst the destruction, for somewhere within these ruins lies a sacred book to lay all their secrets bare. But it may be too late, as an ancient evil far worse than the Witch King is on its way and time is running short.
Will Alessandra and her companions find what they need to defeat the Witch King? Can Colonel Voelker’s forces hold the castle long enough for Alessandra to return? Who will put an end to the Undead Wars.
To find out, you’ll have to look into the Dark Forest from Hence They Came.
The Review
This had to be author Alan McGill’s most explosive and compelling read to date in this series. The narrative harkens back to many horror and sci-fi fantasy reads and projects in the past, beginning with the main cast of characters, both friends and reluctant allies alike, separated by a seemingly impossible and unbeatable enemy. How these groups of survivors and heroes must face the escalating threats from the Witch King and the undead army attacking from multiple points of entry was both heart-pounding and terrifying, and yet provided enough action and suspense to keep the reader on the edge of their seats.
The tension and atmospheric nature of the narrative felt like some of the author’s best cinematic imagery writing yet. The gothic, haunting tones of the dynamic settings of this story played well against the visceral, chilling behaviors and actions of the creatures the author brought to life on the page. Yet it was the dynamics between the cast of characters that stood out, with Alessandra a riveting protagonist to root for and become emotionally invested in, Colonel Voelker a complex and skilled survivor and soldier who must hold a castle against the never ending undead, and the Witch King a haunting figure of immense power that has an unexpected backstory readers will be shocked to see come to life on the page.
The Verdict
This may be Alan McGill’s most exhilarating and heart-pounding gothic horror thriller yet! The tension and drama that unfolds feels like a mix of Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back meets the final battle with the white walkers in Game of Thrones, The Battle of Winterfell. The vast mythos and epic world-building the author pours into this narrative have unleashed a new era of supernatural horror that feels both historical and new at the same time. This is one book that readers will refuse to put down. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab your copy today!
Rating: 10/10
2025 BOOK OF THE YEAR CONTENDER
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About the Author
Alan McGill is an American author who lives in an old farmhouse with a clowder of cats. Alan was close to his grandparents, who grew up during the Great Depression. They were married young and remained together until his grandmother’s passing. His grandfather served in the Navy during WWII and was a gifted storyteller who wove humorous tales about tough events. Alan grew up listening to these stories of right and wrong and watching fictional heroes–such as the Lone Ranger, Adam West’s Batman and Captain America–stand up to bullies and protect those who count not protect themselves. This inspired him to always do what was right in his own life and shaped his love of storytelling. He is a multigenre author whose debut novel, A Cry in the Moon’s Light, combines horror, romance, and mystery. As with all his books, A Cry in the Moon’s Light centers on characters who strive to do the right thing regardless of the adversity they face. The book focuses on the theme of love–a pure and deep love that defeats all evil.
“The Walker Chronicles add to an already excellent series of books by this talented author… these are like no other zombie books.” — Amazon Review
“There are few really impressive zombie series… a well thought-out tale that manages to emphasise the plight of the survivors while keeping the reader gripped to the book. It’s got tension, humour, intelligence and above all is written in an easy reading style that belies the superb and talented prose. Zombie fan or not you should read this.” — SF Book Reviews
“Kristopher’s invigorating prose and storytelling abilities blew me away as I read. He’s created an extremely scary novel intertwining real world current events with the zombie apocalypse. I was fascinated.” — A Book Vacation
Jason Kristopher is the award-winning author terrifying readers with zombies in The Dying of the Light, thrilling them with 1940s noir in Loco Moco, and harrowing them with boy-meets-gryphon-meets-robot adventure in When Iron Wakes. With the love of his life and the dog that rescued him by his side, he plots his next traumatizing stories from Florida beaches.
To request review copies or an interview with Jason Kristopher, please contact Mickey Mikkelson at Creative Edge Publicity: mickey.creativeedge@gmail.com
Tell us a little bit about yourself. How did you get into writing?
I learned to speak English at four years old, and within a few years, writing in English became my favorite pastime. My summers were spent back home in Romania, where I sometimes went weeks at a time without friends, internet, or even TV. I learned to escape into unknown worlds between the pages of blank notebooks. Even back then, I knew I wanted to be an author.
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What inspired you to write your book?
My most recent novel, A Song at Dead Man’s Cove, was inspired by my travels along the Pacific Northwest when I was living in Seattle. I heard the haunting echoes of the region’s history—a wealthy businessman in the Victorian Era, his daughter who was sometimes described as manic, a lighthouse keeper’s wife who threw herself from the crag, a love triangle that ended in tragedy, a place called Dead Man’s Cove where sailors used to wash ashore after shipwrecks… From Oregon up to British Columbia, the Western coast whispered its secrets. I decided to fictionalize them into one tapestry, using attachment psychology as the common thread.
What theme or message do you hope readers will take away from your book?
I suppose that depends on what the reader most needs to hear. Some might walk away from the book having learned that even those they deem monsters are human beings deserving of compassion. Others might learn that you can grieve people even while they are alive. Others might take away that loneliness can be deadly.
What drew you into this particular genre?
Horror in general is wonderful because it allows us to shine a light on our deepest fears, which chips away at their power. I love Gothic horror specifically for the same reason why I loved depth-oriented psychology when I was a therapist—because it draws parallels between the past and present. Plus, crumbling castles teeming with paranormal creatures have always felt like home to me.
If you could sit down with any character in your book, what would you ask them and why?
I’d probably want to know why Hurley Irving uses his power to take advantage of people. His character is capable of treating people as his equals, yet he often chooses not to. I’ve known men like him in real life, and I wish I could ask them, “Why do you exploit those with less power? Why do you always need more and more wealth, where nothing is ever enough for you? Would you ever change?”
What social media site has been the most helpful in developing your readership?
YouTube! I’ve been building an audience on there for over five years, though my main channel is psychology-focused. However, after I decided to quit my career as therapist, I created a second channel, Book & Hearth, where I hope to continue growing a community of fellow book lovers. YouTube is great because its longform content allows for increased nuance and creativity.
What advice would you give to aspiring or just starting authors out there?
Read as much as you possibly can! It will help you discover your favorite genre. It will give you a sense of the current literary landscape. It will show you what you most love in a book, and how to masterfully execute it in your own writing. In my opinion, the most successful writers are often the most voracious readers. On the other hand, you can tell when a writer doesn’t actually love books; they’re just writing from a place of ego.
What does the future hold in store for you? Any new books/projects on the horizon?
Yes, I hope to release my third novel sometime in the next year. The Splintered Parts is a work of psychological horror about a neuroscience student who begins to think that someone—or something—is trying to steal her identity. But is this a neurological disease, a skinwalker, a nervous breakdown, or something else altogether?
I’m also currently editing two other manuscripts. One is a work of Gothic horror that takes place in 18th Century Europe, during the time of vampire hysteria and overflowing cemeteries. The other is a modern-day psychological horror novel about an obsessive-compulsive woman who goes on a witchy retreat in Tuscany. Among the wooded hills, she catches the attention of a very ancient spirit.
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About the Author
Ana Yudin is an author, content creator, and Doctor of Clinical Psychology. She writes Gothic horror, psychological thrillers, and journaling workbooks.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.
A series of disappearances in early 20th-century London leads an investigator into a dark mystery in author Timothy Hernandez’s “The Ageless.”
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The Synopsis
From the Personal Archives of Richard Matthews – London, 1905
What follows are the recovered journal entries of Richard Matthews—a private investigator by trade—and his involvement in the infamous case of London’s vanishing children. These documents, long thought lost, shed new light on one of the city’s most perplexing mysteries, and the man Commissioner Edward Richard Henry trusted to solve.
The official records confirm 12 disappearances—9 of which were children. With no signs of forced entry and no helpful clues, the lead inspector assumes foreign spies are the culprit, eager to get their hands on naval shipping secrets.
But these journal entries suggest a darker tale.
Whether these pages contain the ramblings of a man lost to his vices, or a truth too terrible for history to acknowledge, I leave to the reader’s judgment. The journal, along with its accompanying letters, offers a window into one of London’s most enigmatic cases—a mystery that has come to be known as “The Ageless.”
What follows is his story, presented in its entirety for the first time.
Reader, be warned: some doors, once opened, cannot be easily closed.
The 64K Society
The Review
This was such an engaging and captivating read. The author found an outstanding balance between late 19th-century and early 20th-century London investigations with Gothic, dark fantasy-driven horror. The narrative was delivered at a quick pace, yet still managed to create a haunting, dark atmosphere that captured the cold, cobblestone-laden streets of London in the 19th century.
What stood out as the heart of this story was the natural development of mythology and fantastic character development. The protagonist, Richard Matthews, is a figure haunted by the past, and yet determined to stop a great injustice from being unleashed on London once more. The first-person narrative allowed the reader to experience the setbacks, frustration, and determination that Richard exuded on the pages, while also sensing the mystery behind the words Richard wasn’t saying throughout the investigation.
The Verdict
Memorable, entertaining, and thrilling, author Timothy Hernandez’s “The Ageless” is a must-read thriller that blends dark fantasy and horror. The Gaslamp fantasy element of the narrative, the haunting atmosphere of the setting, and the shocking twists and turns that upend a classic children’s story, as well as the origins of this mystery, make this a compelling novel to get lost in. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab your copy today!
Rating: 10/10
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About the Author
Drawing from his experience working for several fortune 500 companies, coupled with his passion for visual storytelling and digital cinematography, Timothy Hernandez brings a filmmaker’s eye to the complexities of corporate culture and personal transformation. After building a successful career in regional and training management, a recent disability shifted his perspective, inspiring him to craft a powerful narrative about adaptation and resilience—weaving together his deep understanding of storytelling techniques with raw, honest insights about how unexpected life changes reshape our journey.
