A place for sinners review

A Place For Sinners by Aaron Dries

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


With A Place for Sinners, Aaron Dries has crafted an exceptionally well written novel that defies being placed into a horror sub-genre. There are a lot of elements of horror on display here, and instead of becoming a dumpster fire, Dries manages to craft a masterpiece.

A Place for Sinners follows Amity and Caleb, two siblings who decide to break the chains holding them back in their Australian hometown. What better way to to do this than go to Thailand. An awesome adventure turns into the vacation from hell. The writing in this book is phenomenal. Dries has written a book that is equal parts beautiful, atmospheric, brutal, and disgusting. This book starts of simple enough, but the further in the book you go, the more complex it gets. Dries writes with a voice that weaves together all of these elements to the story, different sub-genres within horror, and multiple plot threads in such an immaculate fashion that he makes it look easy, yet a lesser writer could have easily botched this. There are plenty of gross out moments here, more gore than you could ask for, and savagely violent scenes that will leave your jaw hanging. After reading this novel, I’m not sure that I want to travel to other countries ever again.

Another slam-dunk for Dries are the characters. All of the characters in this book are well developed. They have layers upon layers of depth and feel like real people, whether you love them or hate them. The characters here have real flaws and deal with emotions the way you’d expect people to. Susan Sycamore may be one of the most terrifying characters I’ve read in a long time.

What Aaron Dries has done with A Place for Sinners is written a masterpiece. This book has some of the best written prose I’ve ever seen in the genre. There are times when the story gets complex, and instead of losing the story Dries weaves an intricate tapestry of horror excellence. A Place for Sinners has made Dries a must buy author for me.

5/5 Stars

Zero Lives Remaining Review

Zero Lives Remaining: A Haunted Arcade Story by Adam Cesare

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


As a kid, I have memories of a place called DG’s arcade. I was born in the late 80’s, so I didn’t have much time with the arcade scene before the bells tolled upon it; Zero Lives remaining is a horrifying homage to those wonderful establishments.

I picked up Zero Lives Remaining in hopes of a nostalgia filled experience, and thankfully, that’s exactly what Adam Cesare delivered. ZLR differs from Cesare’s previous nostalgia fest in that it’s not set in the past, rather it’s set in a modern place designed to feel like a blast from the past.

ZLR starts off quick, following the untimely demise of Funcave employee Robby Asaro. Asaro never moves on from his death, remaining ever watchful of The Funcave. Fast forward to present times, where the well intentioned ghost of Asaro sets forth a series of events which turn him from a friendly ghost to a power hungry, mean spirited entity of death.

What’s written here is an incredibly fun play on the haunted house sub-genre. None of the characters were especially memorable, however they serve their purpose of being cattle for the slaughter well. The deaths come quick, are imaginative, and fun to read. They are gory, but they fit the tone of the book well. Cesare is an expert at mingling nostalgia, pop culture references from multiple time periods, and horror. He proved it with Video Night, and it’s on display here again, although on a smaller scale. The story ends on a high note, wrapping up before it becomes drawn out.

With Zero Lives Remaining, Adam Cesare has written another nostalgia fueled horror romp. The story within is a lean, blood-soaked affair meant for fans of the arcade scene. I don’t think it’s necessary to have been on the ground floor of the arcade scene to enjoy this book, but i do believe it will enhance your experience

4/5 stars

Cricket Hunters Review

Cricket Hunters by Jeremy Hepler

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I love a good coming of age story, when done right, they transport you back to times that were somehow simpler, yet much more confusing. Frustrating, yet magical. When I caught wind of the latest by Jeremy Hepler, I knew I needed this book. I’m pleased to say it’s even better than I had hoped.

Cricket Hunters follows Celia Lundy as she attempts to locate her missing husband, Parker. The disappearance of whom seems to be somehow related to the disappearance of their childhood friend, Abby. Fifteen years pass between the events and the truth behind Abby’s disappearance remains unknown.

Jeremy Hepler wrote one damn fine book. The story takes place going back and forth between the present and the past. Hepler hits all the right notes of what you’d want in a coming of age tale. The characters experience loss, love, adventure, dangerous close calls, you name it. Celia is the protagonist here, and one interesting aspect that sets this book apart is Celia’s Hispanic heritage. Celia is raised by her Abuela, Yesenia, who is a Bruja. Throughout the book we’re treated to the delightful interactions between Cel and Yesenia. We watch as Yesenia casts healing spells, protection spell, barriers and all manner of witchcraft. The true joy of the book however, is following Celia and her friends, known as the Cricket Hunters, through their daily interactions.

The book is very well written with excellent prose. The story is fascinating and a breeze to follow. You can tell throughout reading that Hepler took great care writing this, there are no loose ends, no big plot holes, nothing at all I can find to complain about. The transition between time periods is woven throughout the story in a manner that makes sense and enriches the story, sometimes time jumps can be confusing and that was never the case here. Central to the story is the disappearance of Cricket Hunter Abby, and Celia’s husband Parker. I had suspicions as to what happened and when all was revealed, I couldn’t have been further from the truth, it came out of left field in the best way possible.

When I finally closed Cricket Hunters I was left completely satisfied. It has everything I love about coming of age stories while still managing to feel completely fresh. Jeremy Hepler has not only written a spectacular novel, but he has succeeded in writing one of the finest coming of age stories I’ve read in a long time.

Doorways To The Deadeye Review

Doorways to the Deadeye by Eric J. Guignard

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Doorways to the Deadeye, the Novel debut by Eric J. Guignard is a story about the power of stories. It’s a fantastical novel that’s well written, and a testament to the authors skill.

The story follows Luke Thacker, a hobo living in America during the depression. It’s actually told as a story within a story, and this device works well for what Guignard is doing. This is a tough one to talk about without spoilers, but I liked how Guignard set the story up set that Thacker is able to interact with all of these legendary characters that we’ve heard about throughout our own lives. Guignards prose is wonderful here, and although the book did feel a little long to me, it didn’t really take any of my enjoyment away, in fact, I read the book in about a day or so. The time simply flew by.

Eric Guignard has written a wonderful book. A book that sets out to examine the power in storytelling, and in turn, becomes a powerful one itself. Guignard shows that he excels in mingling history and fantasy, providing the reader with an excellent debut novel.



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Those Who Came Before Review

Those Who Came Before by J.H. Moncrieff

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Those Who Came Before, the latest from J.H. Moncrieff, is part creature horror and part murder mystery. Moncrieff takes elements of Native American history and mythology and uses them to craft a highly readable book that brings gore and intrigue.

The story follows two main characters. One is a first person narrative following Reese Wallace in the aftermath of his friends being slaughtered, and the other is a 3rd person narrative following Detective Greyeyes as she investigates the crime. In addition to the two perspectives, Moncrieff also intertwines a time jump in the narrative which helps to explain the past behind the cursed land of Strong Lake.

Those Who Came Before has a lot to like for horror fans. It tells a super interesting story and features a brutal, vengeful creature that is, simply put, a thing of nightmares. The more I read this book, the more fascinated I became with the creature doing the killings, and was eager to learn about the history surrounding Strong Lake and the curse upon the land. The writing here for the most part is excellent, words flow easily and I found myself cruising through the pages. Despite this, I did come across a few things that bothered me. I found the actions of both main characters to not be very convincing in more than one instance. I couldn’t help but think that someone accused of murder wouldn’t act this way, and a Detective on a police force definitely wouldn’t do that. There were a few plot elements that didn’t really work for me and felt like a wasted opportunity, and I wasn’t a fan of the ending. I don’t mean this to sound overly harsh, I still greatly enjoyed the book, so much so that I still highly recommend it.

With her latest novel, J.H. Moncrieff has proven herself an author to watch. A terrifying creature and an excellent story premise rise above the few problems I had, making for a damn good time following the Strong Lake murders. I’ll be on the lookout for further releases from this author.

4/5 stars



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NightmareLand: Nightfall review

Nightfall by Daniel Barnett

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


What happens when the lights go out and don’t come back on? What happens to the mind when the world as you know it, ceases to operate the way that it always has? Nightfall, volume one of a post apocalyptic journey by Daniel Barnett offers a glimpse.

The story follows John Hawthorne on a morning which begins as usual, but quickly becomes anything but. In an instant, light fades to black, day to night. Nobody knows why, it’s unclear if the sun just gave out, or if something has caused this. John Hawthorne is a man who does what he must. It’s clear he’s got skeletons in his closet, what they are, we don’t know yet but I’m excited to learn what makes him tick. Very early on it’s clear that Hawthorne is the type of character who knows no boundaries in a terrible situation and this makes him interesting to follow. As you can imagine, hell breaks loose when the lights go out, when the world stops operating as it always has, people begin to go mad, making this a nightmare hellscape for Hawthorne to traverse.

I’d also like to note volume one stops at what feels like a natural point in the story. One reason I don’t typically read multi-book stories is I find the endings don’t wrap up the way I’d like. That wasn’t the case here.

Nightmareland volume one is an excellent opening to this apocalyptic road trip. It did what the first volume of any book should, set up some pieces, grab your attention and get you ready to continue the journey. I’m excited to see where Barnett takes us in future installments.



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Slash Review

Slash by Hunter Shea

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Since an early age, I’ve had a love for 80’s slashers. They’re what sparked my love of the genre. When I saw that Hunter Shea’s follow up to the phenomenal “Creature” was inspired by those classic films, my anticipation for “Slash” became as insatiable as the bloodlust of the maniacs in those films. I’m pleased to say that Shea’s latest doesn’t disappoint.

Slash begins 5 years after a maniac only known as “The Wraith” goes on a killing spree at an abandoned resort. The Wraith was never brought to justice, and final girl Ashley King has lived a broken existence ever since. In the wake of tragedy, Kings fiancé Todd returns to the Hayden resort looking for answers.

Slash, much like Creature, is an example of how Shea is capable of making you feel for his characters when he needs you to. The front half of the book is used to get to know the struggle Ashley has gone through, and to connect with Todd. In my opinion this pays dividends, as you now have a connection to Ashley and Todd, and have been made to feel for them. Because you care about these characters, you feel for Todd’s friends who’ve been dragged into this mess by way of friendship. There is a very specific point in the book where the action gets going and once this happens it rarely lets up, other than to set up the next sequence.

The story works well enough. One of the toughest parts of a slasher set in modern times is technology. The problem being how is this even possible when cell phones are everywhere, Shea uses a simple tactic to move past this, allowing madness to ensue. Another Excellent part of the book is The Wraith. Hunter Shea has come up with a surprisingly effective explanation for why and how the Wraith exists. It’s original, and it works. Speaking of The Wraith, he’s terrifying. When it’s all said and done, The Wraith stands tall amongst the great Slasher villans of the 80’s, Voorhees, Myers, and Krueger.

It’s fitting that I finished this book on Friday the 13th. Hunter Shea has written a worthy homage to my favorite horror genre, the slasher. If you’re a fan of the genre, the films from the 80’s in particular, this is a most own. Hunter Shea has proven himself to be one of the most valuable talents in Flametree press’ roster.

5/5




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