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!

The Garden of Bewitchment review

The Garden of Bewitchment is the latest novel by Catherine Cavendish, are you ready to be haunted?

Sisters Evelyn and Claire leave their home to set down stakes in a quieter area. They’re looking for a fresh start and somewhere they are less known and can work on their writing together. But something is amiss, will the sisters make it out alive?

This was a fun period piece, Cavendish has a wonderful style of writing that draws you in, and makes you feel like you’re reading something from a past era. This is a book that gets more complex as it goes on, and Cavendish expertly weaves numerous plot points together for a fun, yet creepy read. I went back and forth between being engaged in the sisters daily lives to be creeped out by the predicaments they found themselves in.

If I had one complaint, it would be that I was able to figure out a plot point fairly early on in the story, although it didn’t take too much from my enjoyment.

The Garden of Bewitchment will sit well with fans of historical horror, if that’s not your flavor, its still worth a shot.

The garden of Bewitchment is available now, you can pick up your copy here

Scanlines Review

Scanlines by Todd Keisling

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Scanlines is the latest by Todd Keisling, and I have to start off by saying. Buy this book, read the review after, but buy this book.

With that out of the way, Scanlines is the story of Robby and his friends who brave the sloth like speeds of the early internet days in hopes of watching some porn. What they didn’t expect was to run into a tape that made “faces of death” look like a children’s show. The video has stuck with the boys, and now the question must be asked, is there any escape?

This is such a dark, bleak book. From the very beginning of the story, Keisling pulls you in and never lets you up for air. The writing here posses a wonderful quality that has you just turning the pages until you’ve finished. The atmosphere of the entire story was just dark, ominous and sad. You could just tell that things were going to keep getting worse. It’s hard to describe but something about this book just stuck with me, it didn’t feel like fiction. It felt like an urban legend you heard about, and wonder if it could be true.

I recommend scanlines to anyone looking for a dark read. To talk about this book too much is to ruin it, I’ll just reiterate...I couldn’t stop thinking about this book. It just sticks with you.

Consequences Review

Consequences by John Quick

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Did you miss John Quicks debut, Consequences? Fear not, the wonderful people at Poltergeist press have got you covered.

Teenage friends decide to throw a little party in a secluded cabin to celebrate graduation, one last hurrah before they go their separate ways. Things don’t go as planned, an accident happens and one of them ends up dead. Someone is out to make sure they suffer the consequences of their mistake.

The book opens fantastically. We start off with a bit of history of where the local “crazy Freddy” legend comes from, and then from there on out the book moves at a break neck pace, it doesn’t feel like 300+ pages.

Quick elected to make a slasher without supernatural elements, and I believe it was the right choice here. The killer is brutal, but he’s not invincible and it makes the tension thick, but you feel as if the kids might have a chance.

I also enjoyed the characters here, they’re typical slasher fare, but Quick developed them well enough that when bodies start dropping you worry for them.

I enjoyed my time with Consequences. This is an excellent homage to slashers. I know people will think of 70’s and 80’s slashers but to me, this felt like a written version of something like I know what you did last summer. It’s an absolute blast and I highly recommend

4.5 stars

We Are Monsters

We Are Monsters by Brian Kirk

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


We are Monsters, by Brian Kirk is the latest flametree release. This one a reprint of Debut previously published through the now defunct Samhain. If you haven’t read it, it’s time to fix that.

The Apocalypse Killer, recently deemed unfit to stand trial by way of insanity has been sent to Sugar Hill Psychiatric hospital for treatment. Dr. Alan Drexler is developing a cutting edge drug that help cure schizophrenia. Things look to be going Drexler’s way, but there are unforeseen side effects.

I was blown away by how much I enjoyed We are Monsters. I mentioned this to people while I was reading it, and I’ll say it here in this review. This book doesn’t read like an authors debut. It’s well thought out. Kirk spends a good portion of the book building his characters and the world they live in. This causes to make the first half read a bit slow, but I’m ok with that. You can’t complain about books with under-developed characters but complain when an author takes the time to actually develop his book.

As I said before, the characters are well done. As for the rest of the book? Once the ball gets rolling it really picks up steam. It would have been very easy for this book to go off the rails, and it does but just enough to make it a good kind of crazy. Kirk never loses control of his story, he gives it room to go nuts without ruining what he built in the first half.

I’m being a bit vague here, and that’s by design. I want to stay as spoiler free as possible. Fans of psychological horror MUST read this book.

The whole time I was reading this I would think to myself, this is what a horror movie written by Christopher Nolan would be like. I mean that in the best way possible. BUY THIS BOOK.

4.5 stars

True Crime Review

True Crime by Samantha Kolesnik

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I first became aware of Samantha Kolesnik’s True Crime on Twitter. I’d seen a couple tweets of the excellent cover and was further drawn in by the blurb from Brian Keene. I reached out to the author in hopes of being able to get my hands on a review copy. Shortly thereafter, the copy came in, along with a note from the author, part of which stated she hopes the book leaves and impression. After finishing the book, it’s safe to say it did a lot more than leave an impression.

True Crime is the story a girl named Suzy. Suzy lives at home with her brother Lim, and their mother, who is abusive to both of the siblings. The two flee home and embark on an adventure filled with murder and mayhem.

I had a blast reading True Crime, but at the same time I’ve got to mention this book was truly disturbing. There is a lot of mental and sexual abuse within this book. I’m not the type of reader to be disturbed by much of anything, but what’s in these pages really made a mark on me. On more than one occasion I put the book down to take a breather before continuing on. That being said, this book was well written and fascinating to read. As the blood spills within these pages, I was intrigued to see what was going to happen to Suzy. Did her upbringing make her a monster? In time, could she be healed? Suzy isn’t sure of this herself and as the story continues she becomes more detached and cold. From the get go, Lim strikes me as empty, likely because of the abuse suffered, but we don’t get to see what’s in Lim’s head because the narrative is in first person and Suzy isn’t exactly sure of what’s going on in Lim's mind.

True Crime is an exceptional book. It’s filled with abuse, brutality, murder, and psychosis. This is the type of book that sits with you long after you finish. If reading about sexual abuse isn’t something that you can stomach, this may not be for you, otherwise I’d highly recommend True Crime.

5/5

Paradise, Maine Review

Paradise, Maine by Jackson R. Thomas

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Paradise, Maine is the first title by author Jackson R. Thomas that I’ve read, and I can tell you that it certainly won’t be the last. This is actually the 2nd novel by Thomas, the first being The Beast of Brenton Woods.

Paradise, Maine tell the tale of a married couple who’ve been going through troubles. In an attempt to smooth things over, Darren secures a trip to a secluded cabin in the beautiful town the book takes its name from. As we all know, nothing good in life is free, and there is something quite sinister going on behind the scenes. Can they escape Paradise, or will this be a trip straight to hell?

If this setup sounds like something you might read in a Ketchum or Laymon work, then you’ve hit the nail on the head here. It channels works like that in the best way possible. I don’t want to give anything away, but The Watcher isn’t your average psycho in the woods, and I enjoyed the story behind him.

Our Main players in this story, Darren and Vanis are developed better than I’d expect in a novel like this. There’s enough time exploring their marriage and feelings about where it’s been and their future to make them feel like a real couple trying to fix their marriage.

Again, I don’t want to go into spoilers, but Paradise isn’t exactly what it seems, and there’s real potential here for further exploration. I wish it could have happened in this story, but that may have brought the book to a length undesirable for the story being told. That being said, I’m hopeful that we get more in this universe.

Gore hounds will find plenty to be satisfied about here. The Watcher is a brutal antagonist. He has an insatiable bloodlust and he likes to play with his prey, making for some scenes that will surely make you rethink staying in the woods. He’s got some backstory and he’s got history in the story, much of it left open.

When I finished reading Paradise, Maine I found myself pleasantly surprised. I do enjoy novels like this, although they aren’t my favorite type of horror novel. I found myself enjoying this title much more than I anticipated. Jackson R. Thomas has a sequel to The Beast of Brenton woods coming in 2020 and I’m hoping that with plenty of room for more books in this universe on either side of the timeline, that Thomas will be willing to revisit Paradise.

Becoming Review

Becoming by Glenn Rolfe

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Becoming is the third title I’ve read by Glenn Rolfe, and as I’ve come to expect, it’s very good. One thing I love about Rolfe is that it seems the entire genre is his comfort zone. Although I’m sure that it isn’t easy, Rolfe is certainly making it appear simple for him to write in all the different horror sub genres.

In Becoming, Rolfe tries his hand at small town invasion horror. He plays this hand well and walks away with a win. Set in the small town of Avalon, Maine, there’s something in the water. Literally. People are going missing, and eventually return...different.

The lakeside setting of Avalon works very well for this book. It’s easy to picture this small town quickly becoming overrun by whats plaguing the lake. It reminds me a lot of Salem’s Lot in that respect. Rolfe writes his characters well in this book. I’m a sucker for horror centered on children and coming of age tales, so I did enjoy following Michelle’s POV throughout the book. Clint Truman has a good character arc, and one of the worst father son relationships I’ve read in a long time. There was some truly disturbing stuff going on with the elder Truman.

My only complaint about the book is the resolution, I wasn’t a big fan of the ending, I thought it came on a bit abrupt and wrapped things up too cleanly, but that doesn’t detract from absolutely loving the rest of this book.

If you’re looking for some good old fashioned throwback horror you should definitely pick this one up. It goes without saying I’m becoming a huge Glenn Rolfe fan, and this is another hit for him.

Isolation Review

Isolation by Michelle Garza

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


October was a busy month for Michelle Garza and Melissa Lason, the writing duo known as the sisters of slaughter. The first of two releases, Isolation is a historical horror novella rife with bloodline curses and ghosts.

A widow named Amelia inherits a house on literally on a rock in the ocean. Strapped with no way to pay for the debts her husband left behind, she is forced to leave her home and take residence on the piece of land left to her.

Amelia is no perfect heroine. She suffers from a few crippling phobias and an addiction to Laudanum. Amelia makes her way to her new home, only to find that it’s seemingly inhabited by the dead. Amelia must figure out a way to survive a curse upon the family in order to save the lives of herself and those around her.

I enjoyed Isolation quite a bit. Garza and Lason do an excellent job setting the scenes and the tone within the book. It’s dreary, and like it’s namesake, leaves the reader feeling isolated on the rock with Amelia. The writing is nicely done, the story unfolds quickly and keeps you turning the pages. My only complaint was how often the Laudanum was mentioned. I understand that she faces an addiction, but it seemed like it was being mentioned every other page. In the end, it was a minor annoyance, not really a big deal, you may not even notice it.

This novella is different from other offerings by the sisters, and so far this one has been my favorite piece of work they’ve done.

Walk The Darkness Down Review

Walk the Darkness Down by John Boden

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Walk The Darkness Down is a hard beast to explain. Billed as a weird western, this a book that’s quite unlike anything I’ve ever experienced.

This is a tale of of evil at work, and the people set on a path of confrontation with said evil. But really, it’s more than that. This is a book about human characters with different strengths and flaws. I found myself reading this fairly slowly. Although I read it in a day, it felt quite different,it was taking me a while to get through the book, but when I realized why, it wasn’t a negative. You have to savor this book plain and simple. The best way to think of it for me was like food. Sometimes you eat something with a bunch of junk calories and no nutrition, so you’re hungry and you keep eating. Other times, you eat something so densely packed with nutrients you feel full the rest of the day. Walk the Darkness Down is that nutrient rich meal. It’s something hard to explain until you experience it yourself. So why did I start talking about food? Frankly, because this is a book you have to read for yourself. Novellas I find tougher to review because of the short length, it’s too easy to spoil. With this book, it’s even more difficult to discuss without spoiling anything. That being said, I will tell you there are some creepy moments in this book. Jubal carries his sisters around on a sling. Let that sit with you for a moment. Levi is an absolute mechanism of evil. Whenever you read a chapter from his point of view, you know you’re in for an unsettling few pages. As the pages turn, the book picks up steam until you’re at the ultimately satisfying conclusion.

If you’re looking for a bloody, weird book. This is it. You’ve got weird (cosmic?) horror, blood, violence, a horrific villain, friendships, and some beautiful writing. I enjoyed Walk the Darkness Down, and I suspect most of you will too.

4/5

Alien: Prototype review

Alien: Prototype by Tim Waggoner

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


While I'm not the kind of guy who typically reads media tie-ins, as soon as I saw that this was written by Tim Waggoner I became intrigued. I'm a huge fan of the Alien movies, and seeing Waggoner as the scribe left me with hope that this would be a true to form sci-fi/horror blend.

Those of you who may have similar reservations about this book need not fear, I had a blast reading it, and Waggoner managed to bring something completely new to the table. Alien: Prototype follows Zula Hendricks, Colonial Marine turned security trainer and Tamar Prather, corporate spy for Venture, a Weyland-Yutani competitor. When an ovomorph is brought to a Venture colony, the resident scientist decides they must study it with a human test subject, and it all goes downhill from there.

I enjoyed following Hendricks, she was a strong female lead who's out for one thing, hunting Xenomorphs. Tamar Prather is all about working for herself and whoever will pay her the most. The other characters in this book were written decent enough and Waggoner shows that he knows his Alien stuff. Everything felt like it fit perfectly in the universe. Due to certain circumstances within the book, the Xenomorph here is deadlier than ever before. All I can say without spoiling anything is that it's called a Necromorph, and for good reason. Waggoner does an excellent job switching back and forth between perspectives here, and keeping the story interesting until we can get what we all want, Xenomorph action; There's plenty of that on display here and fans of the series won't be disappointed.

All in all, I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. The Necromorph is just as deadly as advertised and brings something new and interesting to a very familiar world. There's enough blood and gore here to satisfy anyone who's into that, even if you aren't necessarily a fan of the franchise.

Skinwrapper Review

Skinwrapper by Stephen Kozeniewski

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Skinwrapper, the latest from Stephen Kozeniewski, is a short novella serving as a prequel to his novel Hematophages. What first struck my interest in this book was the awesome cover. I haven’t read Hematophages yet, but after finishing Skinwrapper, it’s certainly coming off my shelf and onto my TBR pile.

Skinwrapper follows a young girl as she makes her way through the spaceship she lives on. Due to certain events, she may be the only person left aboard.

This book is fast-paced, tense, and atmospheric. The main character is slowly making her way through the ship, trying to avoid the Skinwrappers at all costs. It reads like a game of hide and seek, where the cost of losing is your life. It’s hard to say much about the book without giving it away, due to the length. What I can say is that I really dig the Sci-fi and horror blend, though short in length, Kozeniewski does an excellent job of using the pages to create a constant sense of tension and danger. No need to worry if you aren’t a fan of sci-fi, this book is an excellent fit for anyone looking for a gripping read.

4/5

The Fearing Book 4

The Fearing: Earth and Ember by John F.D. Taff

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


The last piece of the epic serial Novel, The Fearing, has arrived. Does John F.D. Taff stick the landing? All you had to do was read book one to know that Taff was going to nail this.

With each of the first 3 installments, I’ve praised how well written The Fearing is. Book 4 is no different, and why would it be? Taff’s prose is excellent. Book 4 begins right where book 3 leaves off. Our heroes must deal with Tim Jacoby, a crazy who fancies himself the only man capable of saving humanity from the encroaching darkness, while making their way to the final showdown with Adam.

Book Four: Earth and Ember answers the final questions readers had. We had suspected a connection between Monday and Adam, but here we learn the truth behind these two. I’ve got to say, I had legitimately no clue about what the reveal for Monday would be. I knew there had to be something, and maybe readers smarter than me figured it out, but I was clueless. Taff puts his characters through the ringer once again. We spend a good portion of the book dealing with Tim Jacoby and the trouble he brings before finally making our way to THE END. As with any novel, it’s always possible that the conclusion could muck things up and end in an unsatisfying way; I’m happy to say that after months of following this serialization, Taff wraps things up perfectly.

Book 4: Earth and Ember is a fitting conclusion to John F.D Taff’s apocalyptic The Fearing. It picks up right where book 3 leaves off, racing to the finish without stopping for a breather. I can’t think of a better way to cap off this truly epic journey.

The Reddening Review

The Reddening by Adam Nevill

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


The Reddening served as my introduction to the work of Adam Nevill. That being said, I hadn’t even finished the book before buying 3 more of his novels, it’s that good.

An ancient cave network dating back to prehistoric times is discovered. Within the network of caves, evidence of cannibalism and barbaric sacrifices occurring throughout history are uncovered. While covering the dig site for a local magazine, Kat meets up with a woman named Helene who has not come to grips with her brother’s suicide. Cave recordings taken by Helene's brother draw her to one of the last places he visited before killing himself. What is discovered turns out to be deeper and more horrible than anyone imagined.

The Reddening is a wonderfully written horror novel. Nevill does an immaculate job of describing the environments within these pages. It was easy for me to close my eyes and envision the cliffs, the paths, the caves of a country that I’ve never been to. The descriptions do a wonderful job of setting the atmosphere and tone while Nevill keeps the tension high for the duration of the book. Barbaric rituals and brutal violence live within these pages, as those who serve the red will go to great lengths to do so. There are enough twists in here to keep the reader intrigued, and the conclusion of the book was well done.

As I mentioned before, The Reddening is the type of book that compels you to buy more from the author. I suspect this is a feeling Nevill fans are already familiar with, and for those who aren’t, prepare to read your new favorite author.

5/5