Down Here In The Dark is the follow on novella to the excellent Iron Butterflies Rust and I have to say this is dark fiction at its finest, while thisDown Here In The Dark is the follow on novella to the excellent Iron Butterflies Rust and I have to say this is dark fiction at its finest, while this is an obvious sequel, these books are actually five & eight in the Division series timeline. I’ve enjoyed them that much that I’m starting the first of the series Before Leonora Wakes today and with all intentions of reading the complete series.
What you get from Lee Thompson is an emotional roller coaster of so many feelings that it’s impossible to do it justice on paper, you just have to read it, there’s terror and expectation, despair and hope, loss with a belief that somewhere there has to be restitution and not forgetting a chilling feeling of dread that overshadows all.
The story carries on straight after Iron Butterflies Rust, Frank Gunn the ex-cop has seen some extremely disturbing things and is now residing in New Wave hospital. His sanity scorched and on the brink of cracking, with demons looking over his shoulder, new friends and death never far away.
Around 20% in, there is also a reference to a proposed janitor, sporting a Fu Man Chu beard and bearing an uncanny resemblance to the little badass in the laundry room from Rapid Fire. I’ve had this dvd for years and the scene referred to is one of the best fights ever between badass and Brandon Lee, great example for such an insignificant thing.
I do feel like I’ve missed out, only discovering Lee’s work over the last two months when I joined the Darkfuse kindle book club, which I do recommend but this novella is one that’s over way to soon and you straight away feel the need to read it again. As New Wave hospital is about to see blood that runs in rivers. ...more
Nightwhere tells the story of Mark and his wife Rae, Mark realised early on in his relationship with his wife that she is insatiable and that he on hiNightwhere tells the story of Mark and his wife Rae, Mark realised early on in his relationship with his wife that she is insatiable and that he on his own would never be able to satisfy his partner. So they are regulars on the swinger scene, Rae searches for the ultimate thrill, Mark goes along because he doesn’t want to lose her and their relationship defines the word ‘open’.
They receive an invite to the elusive Nightwhere club, a club that you don’t find, it finds you, Rae finally finds gratification in her lust for pain, while her painfully weak husband simply tolerates on the fringes. After the night of her life, Rae wants more and the invitations follow, her desires get darker, more pain, more blood and soon she’s lost to the sadistic ways of Nightwhere, a place of horror and desire.
When Mark is excluded from the invites, she goes alone and doesn’t come back, Rae’s reborn and effectively ends her old life without so much as a look behind her, infected by the devilish pleasures on offer and her husband tenaciously seeks to save her from herself.
Nightwhere is an intrepid exploration into a relationship destroyed by different sexual needs, it’s a shock to see how easy it ends but then a little annoying to see Mark relentlessly pursue his lost love. That said it’s a completely enticing read, lots of sex, sadistic torture and vivid horror scenes that will tantalise and terrify in equal doses. ...more
A 3.5 Rating I think the most difficult thing with Born To Bleed is that it’s the follow up to an absolute classic, The Summer I Died is one of the mosA 3.5 Rating I think the most difficult thing with Born To Bleed is that it’s the follow up to an absolute classic, The Summer I Died is one of the most powerful stories you’re ever likely to read and it was always going to be an impossible task to match up to that.
Born to Bleed set ten years later gets its shocks from cannibalism and the people who claim it as there life blood and prolonged youth, Roger Huntington finds himself right in the thick of it once more as he attempts to rescue Victoria, his co-worker and Gabe, her partner from some fairly sadistic upper class crazies.
Roger as a result of his experiences has some serious psychological issues, he sees our old antagonist skinny man at every turn and his best friend Tooth, who died at the hands of the brutal torturer is never far from his conscience.
The companionship and brutality is not on the same level as the first book but Roger constantly relives what happened to him in that cellar, there must be a limit to what one man can take and he certainly has a survival instinct that is unsurpassed. I did like the twist at the end that sets things in motion for the third book in the series, which I will definitely read. ...more
Ugly as Sin is a tale of redemption, the tale of a man who has all but ignored his daughter for thirty years, he didn’t even know he had a granddaughtUgly as Sin is a tale of redemption, the tale of a man who has all but ignored his daughter for thirty years, he didn’t even know he had a granddaughter but when the time comes, he is the only one who can save the girl he’s never even met.
Nick Bullman is a wrestler, nicknamed the Widowmaker, he’s the chief bad guy of the federation, just shy of 7ft and 300 lbs, a big man but this doesn’t stop him being beat up and his face all but carved from his body. The full extent of the damage is drip fed later in the book but things deteriorate fast when he attacks the chairman of the federation over his plans for the death of the Widowmaker and the birth of a new super villain.
Now broke after being sued, Nick gets a call out of the blue from his daughter, she desperately needs his help to find the kidnapped grandchild he never knew about.
Here follows a brutal journey of discovery and you are bound to each step as he attempts to redress past absence, a past he should have been part of. Nick is still a famous man, a man not easily ignored but he has to live with people’s repulsion and the heart break of a once good looking man that no one can now stand to look at. He attacks his search somewhat like a bull in a china shop and it is amusing when he tries to creep through a house. Really enjoyed this, the characters were substantial and genuine, the pace was frantic and the plot compelling. Recommended.
Corrosion is the masterfully written début by Jon Bassoff, a cross between No Country for Old Men and Sin City, but a hell of a lot darker and dirtierCorrosion is the masterfully written début by Jon Bassoff, a cross between No Country for Old Men and Sin City, but a hell of a lot darker and dirtier.
Written in first person from three perspectives the author mixes tough narrative with disturbing thought and it’s a runaway success. Like Cormac McCarthy’s No Country for Old Men there are no quotes around the spoken work but it’s distinctively clear what’s going on and it works really well. First person when done right can be a thrilling reading experience, being inside the mind of a character brings a certain intimacy and conversely, done wrong can kill the interest very quickly. The question is can you stand being in the slightly disturbed minds portrayed in this book, its well worth finding out.
The first character we meet is Joseph Downs an Iraq war veteran, horrifically burnt by an IED, his car breaks down just outside a small Colorado town and he’s stuck there for the foreseeable future. While in a bar he violently intervenes in an argument between a woman and her husband and pretty soon she’s knocking on his hotel room door, playing Joseph like a cat plays with a mouse and when she hands him a gun, things get plenty serious. Being in the mind of Joseph Downs bought back memories of Marv from Sin City and he is a dark, absorbing and completely consuming character. His thoughts always return back to his ultimate destination, a place known as the Mountain and we see as he resists until he can’t stay away.
The second character we meet is Benton Faulk, sometime in the past, a 16 year old boy with a mother on her deathbed and a crazy father desperately trying to save her. It’s fascinating to be with this boy as his balance of rational thought slowly wastes away. The third character is the masked Reverend Wells, a preacher who takes a hard-line view on the sinful and it’s gripping as we see how these characters are linked together.
What’s with Joseph Downs, an undoubtedly brutal past and the desire to get back to the mountain, what extremity is Benton Faulk heading for? And the Reverend, another one with secrets, what’s his story?
Highly recommended, the plot is enthralling, the first person narrative puts you right there in the story with these flawed characters and I shall certainly be on the lookout for more from Jon Bassoff. ...more
This is the first novella I’ve read from Toby Tate and I do have the novel Lilith still on my to be read pile, the author definitely has a style of wrThis is the first novella I’ve read from Toby Tate and I do have the novel Lilith still on my to be read pile, the author definitely has a style of writing I like, so easy to read it just subconsciously encourages you to keep going.
The Black Church follows Daniel Ivanov whose life seemingly attracts tragedy when he inherits an old Anatolian prayer rug following the bizarre death of his Father. Daniel hangs the rug on his wall and then proceeds to see pictures of those he knows and loves, mysteriously appearing in the design, immediately disbelieving his own eyes he dismisses it until one by one the people he sees quite simply die. Why he doesn’t get rid of the rug, I don’t know but he’s also having strange dreams of an old gothic church and the disappearance of a young boy.
Daniel must find the answers by looking to the past and the clocks ticking on an old curse and family history to obscure to comprehend, told at an almost frenetic pace the Black Church is a quick and consuming read with an interesting plot. ...more
Nightmare man is another anxiety filled ordeal from the Darkfuse stable and follows in the vein of some outstanding novella’s I’ve read recently. You Nightmare man is another anxiety filled ordeal from the Darkfuse stable and follows in the vein of some outstanding novella’s I’ve read recently. You have to feel for Jessie, married with two kids, he suffers from night terrors, traumatic and menacing nightmares that send him scurrying violently for safety, anything to escape the Nightmare man. His wife sleeps on the settee and Jessie is desperate for a way out, a normal life, an end to the nightmares ruining his life.
When he finds a trial medical program offering new drugs, he enlists and the prospect finally for a cure to his problems is hopefully just round the corner. Soon after starting the new drugs, the threat posed by the shadow man that haunts his dreams starts to bleed into reality, coming for those he loves most and Jessie has to confront his nemesis head on.
This is the second piece of fiction I've read from Alan Ryker and he has the canny ability to write clever, interesting stories full of ordinary characters you actually care about and can’t help but root for. Highly recommended. ...more
The Cleansing is a fantastically layered novella concerning man’s quest to find release from the darkness and evil within, to be rid of the things thaThe Cleansing is a fantastically layered novella concerning man’s quest to find release from the darkness and evil within, to be rid of the things that plague your every waking moment and give you nightmares as soon as you’re asleep. This story tackles the issue in the guise of a leech entering the body through the nostril and performing a cleansing, relieving the host of his burdens, the evil they have seen, the guilt and everything associated with it, in essence a catharsis or purging of the soul. This cleansing takes its toll on the host and Chris is about to face it in a chilling search for the truth.
After seeing his father flatline, Chris has a vivid dream after collapsing, about his Fathers campsite and something terrible beneath his Fathers trailer, he is about to learn his Fathers terrifying secrets and a whole lot more. Chris’s Father and his friends were deeply affected by what they saw in the war, so much so that suicide was contemplated, they desperately needed something to end their suffering, the pain of their existence and they settled on the idea of the bloodletting ritual. The ritual gave them a peace but at a terrible cost, it split their soul in two and years later it comes back to haunt them all.
Really enjoyed this it’s well written, dark and incredibly sinister ...more
Have to say, I found this a really interesting read, a horror story that has very little violence, more a psychological assault on your senses but whaHave to say, I found this a really interesting read, a horror story that has very little violence, more a psychological assault on your senses but what stuck out most for me was the characters and their interaction. Clockwork Dolls delivers an unnerving sense of dread throughout and certainly provides food for thought when you accept the idea the author is putting across.
Dave Burns is a bit of a washout, he enjoys a drink more than most, an outspoken man of opinions who tends to upset at least one of his friends every time he gets drunk which is quite often and he still holds a candle for his ex, Jane who is now married to his friend Jim.
His friends fix him up on a double date with Maggie who has some new age beliefs and when she talks about requests to the Universe and the Cosmos granting wishes, Dave's in his element, swears its BS and total claptrap. They take part in a wannabe ritual, write their wishes down on paper and then it's all forgotten amidst the Whisky. The story opens with Dave being interviewed by the Police and the past and present storylines weave together to great effect as their wishes to the Cosmos bring more than anyone bargained for.
For such a short read this certainly packs a hefty punch and if you don't believe in a higher power that controls everything, this will definitely put ideas in your head. Highly recommended. ...more
Damien’s Mother didn’t invest one little shred into his childhood, in fact she tied him to the steering wheel of her car while she went with his brothDamien’s Mother didn’t invest one little shred into his childhood, in fact she tied him to the steering wheel of her car while she went with his brother off into the countryside. That’s his earliest memory of his Mother, in fact he ends up being taken in by his best friend’s family and an end to his so called family. Years later he’s an astronomy student when his brother shows up wanting to repair their relationship and with amazing tales of the unbelievable. Soon Damien is off searching for the past and the future with startling revelations.
An interesting novella that does get railroaded at times with intensive science descriptions but it is well worth hanging in there, with engaging characters and a thought provoking plot. ...more
There’s a potential Hoarder in all you avid book readers out there, so this story was certainly an intriguing concept with a horrific parasitic twist.There’s a potential Hoarder in all you avid book readers out there, so this story was certainly an intriguing concept with a horrific parasitic twist. Anna Grish is an old lady and a hoarder, she collects and stores everything to the extent that it’s a big chore just moving around her house, which has also disgustingly been all but taken over by feral cats (not a cat lover myself so this part repulsed me).
Her Son Pete, who lives close by with his family, regularly brings food over for Anna but she never lets him in the house, always coming outside to collect and give back the tupperware. Ashamed she maybe, a little bit crazy definitely and there’s a little red parasite that’s going to bring a mountain of trouble to Anna and all around her. One day Anna is found buried under a heap of her stash, taken to hospital, social services are soon involved and the house built by her late husband is condemned, but all is not right with dear old Anna. For starters she makes an alarmingly quick recovery, her dead son talks to her and she is drawn back to her wreck of a house. She is slowly being consumed by the parasitic infection and her needs become that of an animal or a bug, to increase the size of her nest, infect more people and spread rapidly.
The Hoard is an enjoyable parasite horror, I was invested in the characters and a little surprised by the ending, leaving it somewhat open for a follow on. ...more
The Raindancers is another stunning novella from Greg F Gifune, again the author creates a wonderful foreboding tension and a creepy atmosphere that cThe Raindancers is another stunning novella from Greg F Gifune, again the author creates a wonderful foreboding tension and a creepy atmosphere that craves your complete attention.
Married couple Will & Betty return to her father’s house after his death to settle his affairs and ready the house to be sold. Amidst the heavy rain, an old man arrives to offer his condolences, claiming to be an old family friend, Betty is charmed by his tales of her father and herself as a young girl. However Betty just doesn’t remember Bob Laurent and Will is immediately mistrustful of a man who appears to be way too friendly and familiar. When the old man starts to get inside Will’s head, taking seemingly innocuous liberties, something has to give, dark and deadly secrets are forthcoming and this soon turns into a chilling night for Will & Betty.
Bob Laurent is the perfect antagonist, seemingly harmless, yet at the same time unnerving and the moment he reveals his true nature, after all your suspicions is masterfully told and a touch disturbing. This story begs to be read in one sitting, my advice, buy this, settle down for a couple of hours and read some of the finest dark fiction around. Highly recommended, just reading through the synopsis again a few weeks after finishing the story stirs my emotions. I’ve only read 3 stories from Greg F Gifune but already I have acquired 7 more and am really looking forward to reading the next one. ...more
Dreams the Ragman is a haunting and completely consuming novella from an author who is fast becoming one of my favourites.
Derrick Ricci and his friendDreams the Ragman is a haunting and completely consuming novella from an author who is fast becoming one of my favourites.
Derrick Ricci and his friend Caleb were affected deeply as children by tales of the Ragman, harmless stories it would seem told by Derrick’s grandfather, stories that would plague their dreams for the rest of their lives.
The Ragman rode a horse drawn cart about the streets collecting rags and other unwanted items, moving from town to town, a figure that warranted tales but it was when Derrick’s grandfather died that murder surfaced and the children never forgot the Ragman. Years later as adults the two friends reunite when the murders start again determined to hunt down the nightmare that was the Ragman. The author brings characters both flawed and thoroughly real that grasp at your attention, not letting go until their story is told, with an abundance of tension and a chilling atmosphere.
The ending is fantastic set in a dilapidated holiday strip, full of empty shops, a desolate beach and rain that never stops (Greg seems to like his rain, must be nightmares of a rain soaked camping holiday) but it’s incredibly eerie and you truly believe, even endure the horror that Derrick and Caleb feel right down to the bone. Highly recommended. ...more
Iron Butterflies Rust is the second novella I've read by Lee Thompson and this maintains the high standards set by my introduction to this authors worIron Butterflies Rust is the second novella I've read by Lee Thompson and this maintains the high standards set by my introduction to this authors work in When We Join Jesus in Hell. This is a tale steeped in tragedy from an author who plays your emotions as easily as a fiddler plays his strings.
Frank Gunn is a cop, with a loving wife Tanya and a baby on the way, now off duty and enjoying time at a Carnival. Pleasant times are shattered when disgruntled father Albert Chambers goes looking for the woman that took everything from him, his house, his car and his son Jeremy, he points a gun at his ex-wife’s head as things escalate. Frank’s instincts take over and he attempts to talk the man down but his wife has more elaborate ideas as she draws his side-arm. Albert panics and the gun goes off, all they see is the distraught father cradling his son, both of their lives all but over.
That split second decision by Franks wife and the heart-rending reaction of the boy’s father, tragically and inescapably change the lives of everyone involved forever, it’s that quick it almost feels like the blink of an eye. Years later we are then catapulted into the life of Frank Gunn, the regrets, the pain and the sadness of a tortured soul always within touching distance of the devil himself. Highly recommended and I’ve bought the follow on to this story Down Here in the Dark and the first story of his division Mythos series Before Leonora Wakes. ...more
Not for the faint hearted The Summer I Died is certainly the most brutal and ferocious book I’ve read to date, there are some seriously sickening momeNot for the faint hearted The Summer I Died is certainly the most brutal and ferocious book I’ve read to date, there are some seriously sickening moments amidst a book filled with torture scenes but you know what, you can’t stop reading it’s absolutely riveting.
Roger back from college goes out to the mountainous woodland with his friend Tooth to drink some beers and shoot some cans, life is about to take a horrific turn when they go to investigate sounds of a woman screaming. They find a blood drenched young woman trying to escape a maniacal killer with some equally vicious dogs, known only as ‘skinny man’ and the friends soon find themselves chained up in the basement at the mercy of a seriously deranged and sadistic individual.
This is a vivid and powerful story, distinctively driven by friendship, yes the violence is extreme and disturbing, just when you think there’s no more possible, you turn the page and start again but you can’t stop reading. Highly recommended, the tension is overwhelming at times and The Summer I Died is apparently being scripted for filming. ...more
Shattered is an enjoyable haunted house novella from debut author C S Kane, Stacey and Liam have to move into the city when Liam gets a new job, flat Shattered is an enjoyable haunted house novella from debut author C S Kane, Stacey and Liam have to move into the city when Liam gets a new job, flat hunting they settle for an old Victorian terrace on Claremont Street. Liam being the chief breadwinner is out at work all day, Stacey a student quickly finds a job in a local store but she struggles to adapt to the new setting.
On the first night the boiler fails and the house is left with no heating, Stacey starts to go downhill from this point having nightmares and seeing things, her studies suffer and she is soon despairing at the choice of 24 Claremont Street. You see the property has a savage history and Stacey is about to feel it first hand. ...more
This is the first book I've read by Greg F. Gifune and to say I enjoyed it would be a massive understatement, totally blew me away, a horror that toucThis is the first book I've read by Greg F. Gifune and to say I enjoyed it would be a massive understatement, totally blew me away, a horror that touches on the evil of man, how that evil manifests after death and the shocking tale of man with two lives. This is a book that doesn't rely on excessive descriptions of bloodshed and violence, that said it is horror and there are elements that tie it to the genre but the strength of this novel is the characterisation and the gripping story.
Alan, Tommy, Rick, Donald and Bernard were close childhood friends, inseparable as kids can be and absolutely devastated the day a tragic accident killed Tommy their leader. Life carried on, they endured but they never truly recovered each resorting to their own coping mechanisms, each to their own battle, each flawed in their own way.
Fast approaching 40 and with very little to show for their lives, dead end jobs the likes of used car salesman, security guard and bouncer, the friends are about to feel that shock again as Bernard, apparently down on his luck resorts to hanging himself. All the possessions he had left were a duffel bag, address book and the picture of an unidentified woman, no suicide note, that arrives later in the post and it’s on a cassette.
The story is told from Alan’s point of view and it’s riveting as we listen to Bernard’s final words to his friends, a few home truths are laid bare but it’s what he alludes to that grabs their attention and I was hooked at this point Bernard had always been the weak one, gifted with his mouth but rarely truthful, perhaps more morally sensitive than the others Alan has to discover why he killed himself and it soon becomes obvious that Bernard wasn't quite who they thought he was. Each of them recollect stories from their childhood, occasions where Bernard acted anything other than a normal kid but when they all dream the same dream and bodies start to appear, the terrifying darkness reaches out to them.
An intelligent and totally absorbing read that drags you in and doesn't let go (like any good horror villain), I will definitely be exploring more of Greg F Gifune’s work. Highly recommended. ...more
Mr Midnight is one of those books that’s deserves to be read in one sitting, if you can, it’s incredibly easy to read, the pacing is frantic and the cMr Midnight is one of those books that’s deserves to be read in one sitting, if you can, it’s incredibly easy to read, the pacing is frantic and the characters invoke feeling both good and bad, in fact scratch that revulsion is the word I’m after, bad doesn’t sound well … bad enough.
Cait Connelly suffers from short intense visions or flickers as she calls them, brief but random insights into other people’s lives, the flickers have been with her all her life a frustrating but almost normal occurrence for her. She uses her visions to help people but she’s unable to help herself, 30 years ago Cait was given up for adoption, this has always plagued her life and she is desperate for the answer to the identity of her birth parents and why they gave her up. Kevin her police officer boyfriend has good news, he’s hired a private investigator and Cait’s dreams are about to be answered.
Milo Cain lives in an abandoned tenement, part of the cities underworld, hidden from view and very much part of the shadows. A perfect existence for a cold blooded serial killer, a stalker of women but also something worse, much worse, you see Milo prays on the soul, he tortures his victims and it’s pretty much what he lives for. Milo also suffers from frenetic visions, enough sometimes to stop him dead but he uses the visions to his advantage, when they lead to an opening or a valuable insight he’s there to use the leverage for his gain.
Cait and Milo are going to meet and it’s a destiny written in blood, really enjoyed this, the ending was exceptional with bags of tension and just a little surprising, usually I can guess what’s going to happen but certainly not with this. ...more
When We Join Jesus in Hell is an intense, dark and powerful read that will leave a big impression and wrench your emotions all ovUpdated after reread.
When We Join Jesus in Hell is an intense, dark and powerful read that will leave a big impression and wrench your emotions all over the place. A novella that will awaken feelings you never thought could exist.
Fist is an ex-boxer who at the height of his career, packed it all in to be the man his family needed him to be and avoided the injuries that were sure to come. He settles into an ordinary if not boring life but that all changes in absolutely stunning fashion when he comes home one night to his family, a little bit the worse for wear and finds an intruder in his house. Life can change in an instant, hell visits few but for those it touches, things can never remain the same. To say more would give the game away, enough to say that a quote from the bible is not something you’d usually see in the review for a piece of horror fiction but this is fitting, I think.'Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied'.
Highly recommended this is a heart-breaking tale of love lost and vengeance, and you travel every excruciating minute of Fist’s journey as he seeks retribution. A devastating and remarkable piece of fiction with the first paperback edition released in January 2015....more
Kitty’s sister disappeared 6 months ago and they wait till now to callously send a lock of her hair, what do they want, Kitty is determined to find ouKitty’s sister disappeared 6 months ago and they wait till now to callously send a lock of her hair, what do they want, Kitty is determined to find out and she won’t let her sister go. Gloria was last seen working for a ventriloquist called Ronny McBane and this is where her investigation starts. As she watches the ventriloquist and Piggy his dummy, she realises something just isn’t right, they are almost too good, the dummy almost too lifelike and things just get creepier from there. Her first interview with the pair in the guise of a college reporter is chilling, Piggy moves it seems of his own free will, this is either a fantastic act or something altogether more sinister. She speaks to their old manager and if ever there was a point to run away from this malevolent pair, this was it but is he just insane, Kitty just has to follow through with this even if it costs her everything.
Highly recommend this it’s seriously spine-chilling in places, one scene in particular with Kitty and Piggy is really lurid and a touch disturbing but there’s no way you can tear yourself away. ...more
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