I keep saying that Silver Shamrock Publishing is putting out perpetually great work, but here’s the thing, every new book I read from this house necessitates making that statement at least once more. Good news friends, Jeremy Hepler’s Cricket Hunters is no exception.

This novel brings quite a bit to the table, and does a pretty immaculate balancing act with it. The story has present day elements as well as flashbacks, and the narrative shifts back and forth between the two timelines throughout. Hepler does a fantastic job making both points of view feel connected, and stressing the sense of urgency that make the reader feel like we’re catapulting towards an endgame.

There is so much coming-of-age material right now taking place in the 1980’s, which is great. I love the 80’s, but I was 5 when they ended. Consider this a personal note, but I love that Hepler chose to set our teenage group of friends in 1998, a time period that I have a lot more nostalgia associated with. I still know most of the words to “All My Life” by K-Ci & JoJo.

I loved getting to know the main character, Celia Lundy, and just as much her abuela, Yesenia. Cel is an imperfect character that becomes pretty easy to commiserate with. I didn’t necessarily agree with all her choices, but I was there to see her through. Yesenia brings the element of brujeria into the story, something that appears pretty infrequently in horror lit that I’ve waded through. The witchcraft never goes over the top, but does drive the plot and make itself an integral part.

Cricket Hunters is great example of simply dynamite storytelling. There are some big reveals towards the end, but the success of the book doesn’t hinge on them. I feel like even if some of Hepler’s choices hadn’t caught me by surprise, it wouldn’t have lessened the journey in any way. That being said, there’s at least one that blew my mind. I highly recommend this to anyone looking for a good coming-of-age mystery.

I received an e-book copy from the publisher for review consideration.

I have a lot of Lutzke left to read, but this is far from my first. If I’m honest, I’ve kind of been saving this one. It seems to hold a special place in the hearts of all Chad’s diehard readers. Now I get to count myself among the lucky ones who know why.

As is his modus operandi, Chad Lutzke trims anything resembling fat from the beginning of the story and drops us right into the story. Denny is a twelve year old boy whose mom is barely there. The book has quite a bit to say about alcohol addiction, all of it relevant and poignant. Denny wakes one day to find that his mother has passed away. Instead of immediately seeking help, Denny thinks of all the ways this could derail his plans for the upcoming spelling bee, and chooses to simply...ignore it.

What follows is the story of a young boy coming to terms with the life he has lead up to this point, and what his life will be going forward. Lutzke’s gift for creating compelling characters has us wanting to take Denny under our wing from page one, and as a result, invests us in every decision he makes, no matter how trivial it might seem.

One of my favorite parts of the story were Denny’s interactions with Sam, and the role she plays in his journey, however direct or indirect you look at it. The emotional climax of the story is stunning, and I can only imagine what it must have been like for readers that had no inkling of what this author could do with 150 pages before they picked up Of Fosters Homes and Flies.

This book should be required reading. Feel free to fight me over it.

Hollow, by Rhonda Parrish, is a YA horror novel. The main character, Morgan, is dealing with the aftermath of a car accident that took her brother and left her mother disabled. Morgan spends the bulk of the story literally running from the problems at home, and also problems with an ex-boyfriend.

The horror element mainly stems from repeated trips to an abandoned and reportedly haunted hospital. During one of these trips Morgan finds a Polaroid camera that does....something. The reader gets a vague idea of the damage the camera causes, but the story never really resolves or explains the way it works or it’s genesis. This would be a bit more reasonable, except that the latter 2/3 of the story really focus around this element.

These, and other, plot elements are blurry and, unfortunately, the ending doesn’t do much to clear things up. I’ve read novels like this one where the ending is unclear in an effort to set up a series, however, Hollow seems very self-contained, and I found myself at the last page feeling as if missed something, or several somethings.

Parrish does do a nice job of pacing. The writing works in typical YA style where the chapters are short and the pages keep turning. My reading experience here was that I just didn’t find enough inside to peak my interest and invest me in any of the characters.

Coleridge, by Tom Deady, is a lot of story in a small package. You're probably tired of reading about the novella being the premier vessel for horror delivery, but there's a reason that statement keeps being made. A story that takes up about 100 pages can leave the reader with a sense of ambiguity, not just in the ending, but in the development of the characters themselves.

If I'm honest, I'm not 100% sure I know what happened by the end of the story. Normally such a statement would translate into 'This book is a mess. Stay away.', but in the case of Coleridge, the journey is what we've signed on for, not the destination (at least in this reader's humble opinion).

Dalia and Zadie are very likable main characters, despite the fact that Zadie only appears in flashbacks. Deady does a fine job of establishing these women, but the standout moment that makes the reader stand up and give a shit about their relationship happens quite late in the book. I do believe you'll know it when you get to it.

I expected the house to feature as more of a character, but since I love going into books without the synopsis, that's on me. It has a history that is dealt with briefly, and it is the reason Dalia and Zadie are brought together, but it's mainly there to bring Slade, the antagonist, into our story. Slade is not particularly devilish or genuinely evil. Instead his strength lies in mystery. Again, an emphasis on character and journey.

If you're looking at the cover expecting an evil and/or haunted house story, you're not going to get it in Coleridge. Neither will you get a clear first, second, and third act wrapped up with a neat little bow. If you're looking for something a bit outside the box, that leaves room for the reader to interpret, this may be for you. Again, Deady succeeds here in not just giving you the facts and allowing you to piece together the ending, but in allowing you, even daring you, to look very closely at each piece before you proceed.

I was given a e-copy by the publisher for review consideration.

Forget everything you know about zombie stories...okay, good work. Well, maybe not everything. Can you get some of that back? Look, a lot of people are sick of zombies. Brian Keene did something with The Rising almost twenty years ago and the Walking Dead captures audiences when it premiered but it's been all downhill since. Sure there have been some bright spots in all the darkness, but overall - pass.
Enter T.L. Bodine with River of Souls. The novel promises a fresh spin on zombie tropes and lo and behold, it absolutely delivers. By the time we enter the story, the world has already been established. The dead began to come back to life, so here begins the apocalypse, right? Nope. Instead a vaccine dubbed "Lazarus" is developed which curbs the trademark taste for flesh and allows deceased loved ones to remain among their family.
Davin Montoya, our main character, is dealing with the death, resurrection, and ultimately the commitment to a nursing home of his father. That's when his life gets flipped, turned upside down. I'd consider it spoiler territory to give any more synopsis, but Bodine makes a bold and surprising choice that makes the novel very effective.
River of Souls is injected with social commentary throughout. Depending on how you read into it, you can see statements about racism, immigration, or even care/respect for our elderly. If that's not your thing, no worries. The characterization is the strongest suit. Davin is a complete three-dimensional character whose head we get to spend 200 pages in, and he's not even the best part. The most endearing part of the story is Davin's sister, Zoe. She's a firecracker, a lot of fun to read, and has a very complete arc to boot.
If you like a good zombie story, but you feel like you've been there, done that, give River of Souls a shot.

I was given a e-copy by the author for review consideration.


I can’t even put into words how excited I was for this to show up on my doorstep. From out of the box, this is a quality product. The cover design on this, and it’s sequel demonstrate careful craftsmanship, and the books have a heft to them, a showcase of the quality you’re about to spend some major league time with. The whole effort is a solid testimony to what an author can accomplish through self publishing.

Oh, and Michael Clark knows what he’s doing with the inside as well. What struck me most was the meticulous planning that was apparent throughout the story. I don’t know for sure, but it certainly reads as though Clark is a fastidious outliner.

As soon as you open up The Patience of a Dead Man, you’re treated to a map of the property and the house where the majority of the story takes place.

I. Love. Maps. Well, as part of a story anyway, not in general. I’m a very visual person and having a place to reference when action is taking place in different parts of the house made for a more enjoyable experience for me. It’s safe to say that Michael Clark had this reader won over by page 4, and I was his to lose.

No worries there, though. This book hooked me. On the surface, the plot is relatively simple. Tim, who is recently divorced, buys a house in New Hampshire with the intention of fixing it up. The only problem is the house has ghosts. Where this novel separates itself is in the scenes of the supernatural. They are creepy and unsettling, they are incredibly tense, and when you’re reading them, you get the sense that Clark was made for this. I haven’t had a book raise the goosebumps on my arm like this since Laurel Hightower’s Whispers in the Dark last year. Especially of note are the scenes with the traveling footsteps toward the beginning and the sleepover with Tim’s daughters.

If I had one complaint, it’s the relative speed with which the story’s romantic relationship unfolds. It serves the plot well as Holly buying into everything and investing in Tim’s wellbeing brings her in to help solve the mystery, but it feels a bit forced. That being said, both these characters are compelling and well-developed making for a duo we want to root for.

Overall, the chapters are short and the pages fly by. Michael Clark presents a supernatural Murder mystery/haunted house book with a horrifying antagonist in Mildred. Knowing that Dead Woman Scorned is sitting on my shelf waiting to go is a comfort. I’m very onboard with spending some more time in the world Michael Clark has created.

Maybe the best thing about Jonathan Janz, and there’s a fair bit to choose from, is his ability to write in a multitude of different horror sub genres. He has vampire stories, werewolf stories, coming-of-age stories, haunted house stories, and more. With each one Janz immerses himself in the beats and, if necessary, tropes and infuses them with fully developed characters and elements to scare the hell out of you. Each genre story making for worthy recommendations in the sub genre it fits neatly into.

The Nightmare Girl is Jonathan Janz’s take on cults. The element present that makes the reader say “well, I haven’t quite seen that before” is the addition of an Irish fire cult. Can you name another piece of fiction that used that? I certainly can’t. This story also does an excellent job of keeping the reader on their toes. You’re never quite sure where things are going to next and there are a lot of surprises in store.

The relationships in this book are very realistic. Joe Crawford’s relationship with his wife and daughter drew me in, and I would hazard a guess that Janz took more than a piece or two of his own life and injected them into the story. Joe’s relationship with Darrel Copeland, local law enforcement extraordinaire, really adds a lot to the story as well. This book feels like a tribute to Joe Lansdale at times, and the dialogue between Joe and Copeland reflects Lansdale’s ability to craft sharp and witty banter nicely.

I really enjoyed and enthusiastically recommend this book. It’s got pretty much everything – relatable characters, strong development and relationships, unpredictable beats, careful craftsmanship (even Joe’s profession figures into the final product in a super clever way), and more. This Janz guy seems to know what he’s doing.


I was given an e-copy by the publisher for review consideration.

On today’s episode of ‘sentences I never thought I’d write’, prepare yourself for a tale of suburban cosmic horror! On March 26th, Flame Tree Press is putting out Tim Waggoner’s newest novel, The Forever House.

From the outset, Waggoner lets the reader know that there are going to be some strange elements in this one. We meet the Eldred Family, known in their true form as Father Hunger, the Werewife, the Low Prince, the Nonsister, and the Grandother. The family has just bought a house with a bloody history, and commence joining the neighborhood with some sinister plans in mind.

While we check in with the Eldreds with relative frequency, Waggoner makes sure that we take ample time to get to know the other residents of the neighborhood our story takes place in. At a guess, we spend about a third of the novel’s runtime getting to know all the human characters. While on the surface, this may seem like a “when are we going to get to the fireworks factory?”-type complaint, there is a whole lot of opportunity for this character development to pay off in the final act. Almost all the characters have a fatal flaw that we witness repeatedly, and they all come into play in some way, shape, or form later on. Overall this is well executed and planned, but there was one certain character whose problem felt like it was bludgeoning us over the head, and could have been toned down a bit, while still having the same dramatic impact.

The less you know about the third act going in, the better. I’ll leave you with two things and two things only. Number one, it is absolutely off-the-wall. Number two, it was ‘too late to read 100 more pages’ o’clock when the author made it clear to me the direction the story would be heading, and even though work was mere hours away, I was unable to pause for the night. I had to see it through. That last hundred pages flew. They delighted and surprised me. Some things I felt were telegraphed ended up going in unexpected directions, and characters went through different journeys than I anticipated.

Lastly, I have to commend Waggoner for working so unbelievably well with the gray areas on his human characters. There are some people in this book that range from tarnished to despicable on the surface, and through a combination of backstory and character arc, I ended up giving a shit about every last one.

I am a new to Tim Waggoner reader, but I don’t plan on waiting long to remedy that.

I received a copy from the publisher for review consideration.

To paraphrase one of my favorite Stephen King writing rules - "don't tell us the character needs to defecate when they need to take a shit."

Until Summer Comes Around is my first novel-length Glenn Rolfe experience. One of the first things that captured my attention and held it throughout the length of the story, is that there are no words wasted or minced. Rolfe has a very clear story and narrative in mind and shows the reader all aspects, even if you might want to look away for a minute.

This book is a fun take on the vampire genre. It seems like most vampire stories nowadays go either the YA twilight route or the mindless ferocity route seen in Del Toro's Strain series(though admittedly I've avoided vampire reading for that exact reason). Rolfe gifts us vampires that will rip your throat out for the joy of it, but are also oddly relatable. November stuck out as a very sympathetic character, dealing with many of the same issues as your average teenager, but with a side of bloodlust. The book certainly read as though the characters were of tier one importance, and the tropes associated with vampires (garlic, crosses, sunlight, etc.) were assigned after to best suit the story. I'm all for that.

The story takes places in 1986, and although the nostalgia factor is present, especially related to music, the story isn't dependent on it, and the reader isn't left feeling overwhelmed. The book works in the 80's setting, but it could have translated to modern day as well.

Rocky, our main character, stars in what could definitely be categorized as a coming-of-age story. He navigates getting a license with summer boredom with girls with small-town vampire murders. All the staples of a typical upbringing. Glenn Rolfe never tries to make Rocky more than a kid, who also happens to be disabled. The handling of this character makes the story that much more down-to-earth and easier for the reader to connect with. Shit, that could've been me.

Look for Until Summer Comes Around our on May 21st from Flame Tree Press.

I was sent a copy by the publisher for review consideration.

3.5 stars rounded for Goodreads.


Christmas stories in August? No thanks. Christmas ghost stories literally any time of the year? Twist my arm, I. am. down. In this collection, David Allen Voyles hits us with twelve stories and a novella that examine the holiday tradition of telling ghost stories a la the Most Wonderful Time of the Year. While not all the stories are straight ahead ghost stories, most of them do lean towards the supernatural.

This collection's strongest showing is its' title track and novella, The Thirteenth Day of Christmas. Presented in 13 chapters, one for every day following Christmas, we get the story of a small isolated town, cut off from power and outside communication. That's when the bodies of townspeople begin to show up. The story starts as a sort of whodunnit with some very subtle hints at a potentially supernatural antagonist, but what really worked for me was the extreme escalation. Shit gets real bad, real quick.

The stories that I found most successful were generally the shorter ones. Stories I could imagine being told around a fireplace on a cold winter night. The Toymaker is a particularly good example of this and gives us a glimpse of what can happen to children who find themselves on the naughty list. The Ghost in the Graveyard and the Haunted Belfry are the exact types of ghost stories I had hoped for when I opened the book, the latter being pretty grim. I also really enjoyed The Bloody Wall for it's creepy atmosphere and clever ending twist. There were elements to it that brought Poe to mind.

A couple of the stories glow with promise and offer up a terrific idea but go on just a little too long. The prime example being a story called The Christmas Present, where a child is transported via a nightmare box and Mephisto unleashes hell on the boy's loved ones during a performance at a macabre theater. It's disturbing and a really original idea, but there are parts before and even during the performance that feel unnecessary and detract from the overall effect.

As of this writing, the paperback is available for $8.95 and the e-book for $2.99. Holiday horror is a pretty tight sub genre, and if you're into it, this collection offers some good stories and a thoroughly worthwhile novella. I'd also wager that collection would make for a good Christmas present for twisted person in your life.