He Started It

Beth and her siblings, in an attempt to collect their inheritance from the grandfather, must relive a prior “road trip” he’d taken them on 20 years prior.

Samantha Downing has returned with her sophomore effort, He Started It. Although her latest doesn’t quite reach her debut masterpiece, He started it deftly avoids a slump. 

Downing writes thrillers with dysfunctional family relationships and she does this as well as anyone I’ve read. Beth is a great narrator for the story and her perspective keeps the pages flowing. There’s always a bit more of a carrot dangling in front of the reader as the chapters conclude. As with her previous effort, it appears Downing has no problem sticking the landings and the book ends in a satisfying way.

I also enjoyed the prose in this book, Downings style is highly readable, and in a genre that has a lot of options, that’s always a plus to stick out from the pack.

Fans of My Lovely Wife will enjoy this one, and I believe those who either haven’t read that, or didn’t care for it will still find a lot to love here. I’m all in on whatever Samantha Downing writes

4/5 Stars

The Devil’s List review

The Devil's List, by Terry M. West is a brutal, pull no punches novella.

Chuck believes himself to be possessed by a demon. A demon that compels him to murder. Whether or Chuck is possessed, or his own mind is rotten, one thing is for sure, you don't want to cross path's with him.

I enjoyed this take on a serial killer, one that was inspired by true events. West puts you right there in the drivers seat with Chuck. He does an excellent job putting you in Chuck's brain, a place that you don't want to be to begin with. The kills are quick and brutal and also help expose you to Chuck's fragile mind. I wasn't sure how this one was going to play out, but by the time I was finished, I was left satisfied, but yearning for more. I find that a testament to the writing on display, not a knock on the length of the book.

I devoured this short book in one reading session and would recommend it to anyone with even a passing interest in serial killers, both real, and fictional. I'll be on the lookout for more books by Terry M. West

Tomb Of Gods Review

When I saw the slate of 2020 Flame Tree Press titles, 2 of them in particular drew my eye. The first by Glenn Rolfe, the second, the newest Brian Moreland. Ancient Egyptian horror set in the 30’s? Yep, sign me up for that.

When her grandfather disappears, only to re-emerge a broken man, Imogen Riley must know what happened. He claims to have found an ancient Egyptian tomb and the greatest archaeological discovery. In order to find out what has taken her grandfather from her, Imogen joins colleague Nathen Trummel on an adventure of wonder and horror.

Going to throw this one out there. This is my favorite book by Moreland. The writing, plotting, and characterization here are leaps and bounds beyond what I’ve read from the author previously. Despite not having read all of his books, I still feel comfortable making the claim that this may be his best overall book. It’s just difficult to feel otherwise after having read this. I love the mixture of history, adventure, and horror that Moreland has put in the pages.

Imogen is an excellent main character and I had a good time following the exploration of The Tomb of Gods. There is plenty of action here and the scary sequences are terrifying. This was one of those books that keeps you engaged the entire time, even when there are lulls in the scares and action, the sense of discovery and adventure keep you within the authors grasp.

Tomb Of Gods is an excellent novel by Brian Moreland, and another top notch horror from FlameTree Press. I hope the author and publisher work together again soon.

4/5

Aliens: Phalanx Review

First off, I think it’s necessary to start this off thanking Scott Sigler. This book breathes some new life into a franchise that’s seemingly done everything imaginable.

Aliens: Phalanx is very much a blend of fantasy and horror, much more than a blend of scifi/horror. We’re thrust into a world of bronze armor and spears. A world that has been decimated by the threat of the xenomorph. The world of Ataegina is populated by pockets of civilization that struggle just to survive, finding it necessary to scavenge and barter for supplies. At the request of the author note in the beginning, I don’t want to say to much to avoid spoilers, but it’s worth noting that this setting works exceptionally well, it feels completely different than anything I’ve experienced from the franchise and even if the book were removed from the IP, it would still be a very entertaining read.

Phalanx is filled with compelling characters, including one of the best female protagonists the series has ever had.

When I finished Phalanx, despite the length of the novel, I didn’t want it to be over. Sigler had me spellbound from start to finish and unless you have a dislike for ancient civilizations or fantasy settings, I believe you’ll love it too.

4.5 out of 5 stars

The Forever House Review

The Forever House, by Tim Waggoner is a book that I've been anticipating for some time now. You see, I'm guilty of cyber stalking the flametree press website. The minute they put up a new listing for a horror novel, I put a new listing on my TBR. This is my second book by Waggoner and I found myself satisfied with what I read.

This book, simply put, is crazy. That's the easiest way for me to describe it. I thought I was getting a haunted house book, this is so much more. The characters all felt very real, including one character that I found to be completely disgusting, as I imagine most readers will. There are some parts of this book that might cause readers to tap out, all involving this particular character. But, unfortunately, people like this exist in real life, so they will exist in books as well. That being said, the cast of characters here are quite diverse, and for the most part, act as if they were real people and not cannon fodder in a horror story. You find yourself rooting for some, and rooting against others, as it should be.

The writing itself is well done, Waggoner's prose is easy to read and keeps the story flowing naturally. Once things start getting unveiled, the book just keeps getting weirder and weirder, but not in a way that would turn me off. Waggoner excels at telling a creepy story and keeping this train on the tracks, even when he throws everything but the kitchen sink at the reader. From start to finish, I enjoyed The Forever House, right down to a conclusion that I didn't see coming.

As I mentioned previously, this is my 2nd Waggoner, and I'm going to be reading much more by the author sooner rather than later. The Forever House is an especially distinct title that manages to exceed expectations and keep the reader entertained.

4/5 Stars

Shallow Graves Review

The Newest Release from Robert Essig and Jack Bantry is here. An 11 story collection by way of Deaths Head Press. Does the duo kill it? Or should this one be left in its own shallow grave?

This collections served as my introduction to both authors, so initially, I was unsure what to expect. What we have here is a collection of Brutal, Sick stories. Some of these were tough to read because of the subject matter in them. I’m not one for trigger warnings, but those readers who care about that type of thing might want to seek them out. That being said, despite how tough some of these could be, I found myself unable to peel my eyes away from the horror before me.

Many of the stories in here are on the shorter side, or at least felt that way. I read the kindle edition, so it had locations instead of pages, but the brevity of the stories played to their strengths. I’m all for an epic short, but in this collection, smaller pieces just seem better suited to the material. 

A few of the standouts in here for me were Starving Artist, Like Ants on a Carcass, and A Lesson in Renegade Filmmaking. The rest of the stories ranged from ok to great, the stories I highlighted were just a few of my favorites. 

If you’re a fan of in your face, brutal horror, this is a collection for you. If you’re squeamish, or have issues with certain triggers, this may not be for you. Either way, I personally enjoyed the collection, even if it made me feel a bit mortified at times.

4/5 Stars

My Lovely Wife Review

My lovely wife was the first book I bought when I decided to run a bookstagram and start reviewing. I was excited to read it, although I’m a mood reader and the time never felt quite right. With the paperback release just yesterday, the the time was now, and WOW, what an excellent book.

My Lovely Wife is the story of an upper middle class suburban Husband and Wife. Millicent and her husband (the unnamed narrator of the story) live a tightly scheduled, hectic life. Millicent keeps the family in check, she seems to rule over it with an iron fist. But everything isn’t white picket fences and gated community here, this husband and wife duo have secrets.

I really enjoyed this book. I saw a blurb mentioning it was like dexter meets mr. and Mrs. smith, but I’ve got to say, that’s really selling this book short. Downing weaves both present and past together in this story to always keep the carrot dangling in front of you. Just one more page turns into just one more chapter. Just when you think you’re going to put the book down, a twist comes up and you have to know more. This happened to me a few times. Every time I thought I knew exactly what happened, it turned out I didn’t, and I loved the book that much more for it. 

The book is done in 1st person narrative, through the husbands eye. We never learn his name, only his Alias. Through this, we slowly see how cold Millicent is. Everything seems very matter of fact with the family. There is a lot more going on than meets the eye here, and that’s really all I’m willing to say about the plot. 

The writing in here is nicely done, especially for a debut novel. I enjoyed the way it wrapped up, although towards the end of the book it did seem to come on a bit fast. It feels like if Downing wanted, she could make a sequel, but personally I hope that she doesn’t, the book ended in a way that left me satisfied.

My Lovely Wife is an excellent thriller with enough twists and turns to keep you guessing, while at the same time always giving you that one more chapter feeling. Samantha Downing is an excellent writer and I can’t wait for what comes next

5/5 Stars

The Paperback is available for purchase now!