Killchain by Adam Baker is Infected books opening novella in their year of the Zombie series. Twelve authors, twelve zombie novellas and all to celebrKillchain by Adam Baker is Infected books opening novella in their year of the Zombie series. Twelve authors, twelve zombie novellas and all to celebrate 15 years since the publication of Infected Books first novel, David Moody’s Autumn.
Set within the same world as Baker’s bestselling novels Outpost, Terminus and Impact, Killchain takes place at ground zero, Mogadishu in Somalia where a dead satellite crashed. The virus entered the population and quickly spread leaving the infected flesh hungry zombies.
The Russians are here desperately seeking an antidote and also here, not trusting them an inch are the Americans with rookie CIA field operative Elize Mahone. Her first live mission to assassinate the leading Russian surgical specialist using a troubled young man willing to die for their cause.
The Zombie horde are getting closer, the hit needs to be done before they can get on the last flight out but betrayal is the ruination of many a good plan and this one's no different. Elize's luck just ran out. This story doesn't concentrate so much on the battle against the Zombies but more on the political games of the superpowers in the form of four people, two on the mission, one having second thoughts about killing himself and one unfortunate enough to be caught slap bang in the middle of it.
This was my first read from Adam Baker and I enjoyed it, the story gets interesting as Elize tries to fortify the mind of her kamikaze attacker and her mission partner discovers a double cross.
The Marquis de Carabas is recovering rather nicely from a terminally bad case of death and the one thing he really, really wants? Is his beautiful coaThe Marquis de Carabas is recovering rather nicely from a terminally bad case of death and the one thing he really, really wants? Is his beautiful coat back.
And it was truly beautiful, remarkable and completely unique, unusual pockets, some of which even he couldn't find every time he looked, magnificent sleeves, an imposing collar and made of leather the colour of a wet street at midnight. More importantly than all that, it had style and it made him the man he was, the Marquis de Carabas.
'The Marquis de Carabas liked being who he was, and when he took risks he liked them to be calculated risks, and he was someone who double-and triple-checked his calculations.'
The world building is phenomenally good, it's one of the many ingredients that go into making Neverwhere a place that feels just too real for words, a definite, dark imagery, full of magical things, slightly warped people and intrigue, lots of intrigue.
'The paths of London Below are not the paths of London Above: they rely to no little extent on things like belief and opinion and tradition as much as they rely upon the realities of maps.'
It's a joy to revisit London below, a dangerous journey indeed for the Marquis where he encounters a grievance that has festered for a long long time, the terrifying Shepherd's of Shepherd's Bush and even more fascinating, a member of his family. How the Marquis got his Coat Back is a quite fantastic Neverwhere short story, wonderfully written and filled with a charming prose that is simply enchanting.
Sam and Sophie are on date night, she's waiting for him to turn up, he's running late. When he finally arrives she's not there, he searches everywhereSam and Sophie are on date night, she's waiting for him to turn up, he's running late. When he finally arrives she's not there, he searches everywhere, restaurant, cinema, no sign. He figures she's gone home, a mite pissed off.
We then go back two years to America, West Virginia and a woman tied up in a barn, kidnapped by a psychopath. A deadly game commences, she has on the surface two chances to escape and one chance to save her brother before this mad man leaves. This game also involves a wood chipping machine, not pretty.
These two stories eventually come together on a farm in the English countryside. The Farm by Matt Shaw is a well written horror novella, the story uses differing timelines to keep things mildly interesting but it was lacking the Shaw twist and nothing really stood out for me.
Michael McBride takes us back to the Rockies and once more we're blind in the snow, we're in the killing grounds, the panic is mounting and the tensioMichael McBride takes us back to the Rockies and once more we're blind in the snow, we're in the killing grounds, the panic is mounting and the tensiometer is pinging like a metal detector in a shipping container.
Seven years ago John Avery's girlfriend went on a skiing trip with friends, none of them were ever seen again and he's searched for them, relentlessly, he was even a suspect.
Sheriff Wayne Dayton once shot a man who staggered into a diner carrying a severed head, a tortuous ending to a harrowing journey that is not easily forgotten. A conservation biologist searching for a missing bighorn sheep finds a video camera hidden in a tree and evidence of the missing party is finally discovered.
'A scream from the television cut him off. It was loud and clear and filled with so much raw terror that the hackles rose along his shoulders and neck.'
Sheriff Dayton investigates, resulting in a group setting out to ascertain exactly what happened all those years ago. Darkness and a freak blizzard put them in the killing grounds of a predator even Arnie would struggle to get away from.
There's a cabin hidden in the snow and the trees, on a wall inside is scrawled the names of those unfortunate enough to realise that there's definitely no hiding place, not here. And a warning 'They come at night'.
Snowblind 2: The Killing Grounds is another exemplary suspense filled horror from McB, in a perfect setting for terror, the pace and trepidation rise exponentially until it's just unbearable. Will there be any survivors in the most extreme of conditions and if there are, can the U.S. law department take them out (kill them that is, not for lunch). Well worth finding out and I do recommend the two Snowblind novellas, heavy on terror, light on humour and there’s a good deal of pronounced nail-biting and heart pounding tension going down.
Oscar Dennihy is just about to close The Palaver Barbershop, truth be told it's about time he closed for good when a man walks in and asks for a cut aOscar Dennihy is just about to close The Palaver Barbershop, truth be told it's about time he closed for good when a man walks in and asks for a cut and shave.
'The man has pale waxy skin and cold eyes that seem to trap and quench the glow from The Palaver’s fluorescents, almost as if when he removed the hat the shadow stayed in place. His smile when it comes is even colder, and now Oscar finds himself with a new fear.'
The man tells a tale, old but true he says, of a place called Milestone and a barber's shop that opened there, once upon a time. More creepy goodness from a town and story that gives hair-raising an entirely new meaning. Milestone receives a strange visit from a man known as the barber and he's offering free cuts, my advice, even if like me you have no hair, go and get a trim.
Unbelievably The Grownup is my first read from Gillian Flynn and I did quite enjoy this dark little novella.
You may have seen this quote already but Unbelievably The Grownup is my first read from Gillian Flynn and I did quite enjoy this dark little novella.
You may have seen this quote already but I have to include it because, well it's a legend, a quote amongst quotes. Chances are it might not stand up to the test of time but I'll never forget it and it introduces the stories protagonist and vocation.
I quit because when you give 23,546 hand jobs over a three-year period , carpal tunnel syndrome is a very real thing.'
So she's in the process of moving from hand jobs to scam artist in the guise of a fortune-teller when she meets Susan Burke. And soon she is employed to rid Susan's house of evil spirits and step-son Miles is integral. Then it's exploration of the demon child phenomena and it did grip me as things swung from is he? To isn't he? All told this was a story that keeps you guessing, some delicious twists and the kid is pretty likable for a possible sociopath, definitely interesting with an ambiguous finale.
Consumption is one of the most horrifically intriguing novellas that I've read for quite some time and it may just make you think twice about that speConsumption is one of the most horrifically intriguing novellas that I've read for quite some time and it may just make you think twice about that special dinner invitation.
Each of the six guests received their invitations through the post, a twelve course tasting meal courtesy of the renowned chef Heinrich Schauer. Through the winding roads of the Gotthard Pass, over the Devil’s Bridge to reach a remote lakeside Swiss manor in the Leventina Valley.
In keeping with the evening’s dinner theme, each guest had been issued a unique demon’s masquerade mask. They were discouraged from talking about themselves, the evening was purely about the wonders cooked up by the chef.
We spend time with Heinrich Schauer as he prepares his dishes, stripping meat from the body strapped to the kitchen table and we see the effect the dishes have on the guests. An almost hidden undercurrent of rage that the food helped to fuel, feeding their inner demons.
'The monster was feverishly hot, no doubt a side effect of Schauer’s grueling excavations. He was sure that the beast would be howling if Schauer had not had the foresight to sever its vocal cords. No shared language existed between them, of course, save for the excruciating roars of pain and misery that were common to all.'
Consumption is a quite different tale of horror that resonates feelings of dread and shock, very well written, some great ideas and some darkness around the invention of various culinary delights. This was my first read from Michael Patrick Hicks and definitely won't be my last.
Pentacle by William Meikle Pentacle is the second supernatural novella from William Meikle based around Sigils carved into the skin and disturbing oldPentacle by William Meikle Pentacle is the second supernatural novella from William Meikle based around Sigils carved into the skin and disturbing old houses, dark places that possess a certain power capable of disrupting the balance of time and space. Pentacle much like Broken Sigil explores the author’s creepy fascination with houses that possess something like a mythology, attracting people who suffer, people who are drawn to these places to ease their pain. Places adrift it seems from time itself, self-contained with their own set of rules and their own concierge.
John is the keeper of the Edinburgh house, the sigil on his stomach burns, the noises in the basement beg for exploration and a tape plays, the words of a past keeper.
'He put his hand on the door handle—just as it turned from the other side. He stopped and held his breath. The brass handle went cold in his palm, and when he did finally breathe, mist formed in the air ahead of him.'
And something has slipped through, from places better left undisturbed, hiding in the darkness, waiting. John must put things right, restore order and rebuild the electric pentacle in the basement. William Meikle has hit on a pretty creepy mythos with two intriguing novellas set in places you'd wish could never exist.
'A fly buzzed around his open, largely toothless mouth; drool dangled from his bottom lip like a limp lasso.'
A typical customer at The Grinnin’ Ga'A fly buzzed around his open, largely toothless mouth; drool dangled from his bottom lip like a limp lasso.'
A typical customer at The Grinnin’ Gator.
Gator Bait is a novella by Adam Howe set in the Louisiana swamp and The Grinnin’ Gator, a saw dust on the floor type bar with dirty booze, strippers and dodgy music. A place where you watch your step unless you want to end up as both lunch and desert for the big mouthed occupant of the water that this friendly bar sits over.
John Smith or Mr Hammond in a previous life is a top quality piano player, or he was right up until a jealous husband chopped off two of his fingers with a cigar cutter. Now he's on the run because said husband is dead and unfortunately he ends up at The Grinnin’ Gator, where there's a one legged owner called Horace Croker. One leg because George the gator took it for a snack and he's now the avenue for any trouble via a push from the patio or worst case, the hidden trapdoor.
So we have Johnny Smith now playing piano minus two fingers, Croker the boss, his beautiful wife Grace, who's a dreadful tease it has to said and big old George, always hungry, big teeth.
'She started backing from the room— but as she pulled the door closed she shot me another glance that shivered down my spine like footsteps on the grave.'
A wicked tale of dirty swamp noir, degenerate skank infested, sweat ridden, mosquito riddled dump of amoral intemperance. Where everyone's got an angle to play and the twists don't always go the way you expect. The only question? Who's gonna get fucked.
Leave the Living is a horror novella from Joe Hart and Darkfuse publications. Mickey Bannon is suffering, his ex-wife who he still loves is about to rLeave the Living is a horror novella from Joe Hart and Darkfuse publications. Mickey Bannon is suffering, his ex-wife who he still loves is about to remarry, feelings are up in the air waiting for it all to end when the phone call comes that tells him his Father has died. Now he's got to travel to his hometown as a harsh Minnesota winter threatens his journey and sort everything out, see his Father for the last time.
'Mick froze, his foot dangling over the next step. The darkness was complete in its totality. Swimming afterimages left by the light danced before his eyes like capering spirit energy dissipating into some unseen dimension. His foot hovered over open air, and he pulled it back, sure that if he stepped down, there would be nothing there. He would fall into darkness, only the rushing wind in his ears and the sound of his own scream to accompany the plummet. The lights popped back on as if a switch had been thrown.'
When he arrives at his Father's house things definitely take a turn down strange alley, and he starts to question his sanity as things, impossible things start to happen. Is his imagination bursting into overdrive or is there a message for him, a path he must travel to find both secrets and answers.
Now Leave the Living is very well written, this was my first read from Joe Hart and I have a feeling it won't be my last, his writing is technically proficient and his prose is top notch. I noted loads of quotes I could have used in my review and that's generally a good sign. The story was ok, not the best I've read but this author without doubt and with the right story will be an award winner, he is that good.
'Mick let his air whistle out from between clenched teeth. In the theater of his mind, he saw the door flying open and some dark horror climbing out from inside, released from its prison by his own hand, eager and hungry.'
People are Strange is a short story collection by James Newman and its like Jeff Strand says in the foreword, this ain't the James Newman who wrote MiPeople are Strange is a short story collection by James Newman and its like Jeff Strand says in the foreword, this ain't the James Newman who wrote Midnight Rain, this is the James Newman who sits in a dark corner, giggling psychotically as he pens deviant horror filled tales.
The first story is a bit of a mouthful,The Honest-To-God True Story of Earl P. and a Bug Called Abraham Lincoln, Earl woke and 'stuck a hand down his boxers and gave his balls the ole’ first-thing-in-the-morning scratch as he watched the thing buzzing about above him'. Starts to become annoying, as all flies do but when it lands on his nipple and greets him with a good morning, it's safe to say today is gonna be a different kind of day. Talking to a fly called Abe and visiting his landlord with a gun are on the menu for today and Earl has definitely not been taking his pills.
The Good, the Bad, and the Severely Maladjusted is a naughty little Cowboy and Indian story with a bit of a horrific twist, John Henry Mason prides himself in never having lost a fight and when he gets jumped by an Indian, there's no way he's getting scalped.
Your Cold Black Heart is a deliciously murderous piece of flash fiction and Dirty Black Summer is a tale of secrets going back to the Nazi death camps when young Billy explores his Grandmother's attic. Secrets are dangerous for all concerned. 'His emotions seemed to hover over him in a thick black cloud, contradicting one another, conflicting with the love he had felt for his late grandfather'.
Bless This Meal, O Lord is another piece of flash fiction that quickly explores how to deal with troublesome offspring. Suffer the Children is a diary style story of a woman who tells of her love for her husband Frank and of his obsession with donating his wages to sponsor a child from Ethiopia.
Always Digging is another piece of flash fiction about, well, digging and burying. And Keeping Up With The Joneses is a bit of a precursor to the excellent story Animosity about normal people. People we see every day. People who are sometimes capable of terrible things.
A Town Called Hatred is a twisted place, a warped little town full of freaks, full of psychos and a great place to settle down, maybe start a family. Merrick is a serial killer with a body in the trunk, he drives past Hatred and the place beckons, calls to him and its a place he'll fit right in.
Next up is Holy Rollers and a visit from two religious nutjobs is just what you need as you're about to leave for work. 'He cocked the hammer then, said softly but firmly, “Perhaps I should rephrase the question, Mr. Morris. You will invite my brother and I inside… and you will listen as we share the Word of God with you.” Now this is the word of God like you've heard before, violently accompanied by a nipple sliced off and thoughts purely of ‘fuck me’ that was heavy.
People Are Strange is a new release on kindle and 94 pages of twisted visions from the dark mind of an individual who needs help, help to get more of this stuff down on paper and released to all the little bunnies like yours truly who love this kind of horror. Top marks for James Newman.
Death Songs from the Naked Man is a short story collection from Donn Gash and James Newman. The first story is the title story and tells of a bunch ofDeath Songs from the Naked Man is a short story collection from Donn Gash and James Newman. The first story is the title story and tells of a bunch of shoppers in a shop 'n' go about to get a pleasant surprise when a naked man walks in holding a gun. Shits about to get real when a guy pulls in for petrol and his head meets Mr Bullet.
'Tubby went down like he suddenly remembered an urgent appointment with the sidewalk. One of his legs worked like he was trying to kick-start a motor-bike.'
Now it's just a matter of counting bullets, how many does that fucker hold, six or seven?
Next up is Donn Gash with Hot August Night and Bert, a truck driver, not the most attractive guy on the planet it has to be said. So you might think somethings not quite right when a hot looking red head offers him the night of his life in the hotel across the way. Hopefully his fruit of the looms are in a suitable state for a night of passion.
The third story is Gun Therapy where needs must on the Rocky path of marriage and then the excellent Revenge Flick by James Newman, where every man's worst nightmare becomes real for the man with no balls. So let's examine the film business and find out how a man with all the right bits can suddenly become the man with no balls. Join him on his journey to find that asshole, the one who had ruined his life, the Man Who Makes Movies.
All told some really well written stories by James Newman and Donn Gash, my favourite was Revenge Flick, you seriously can't help but feel for this guy and while you're at it, give 'em a feel, just check they're still there because this guy, he can't, poor bastard.
They don't call Route 50 'the loneliest road in America' for nothing, it's not a road you want to break down on, no phone signal and you could end up They don't call Route 50 'the loneliest road in America' for nothing, it's not a road you want to break down on, no phone signal and you could end up with the worst kind of sunshine break. Jim, Rita and Dinah are traveling down Route 50 when a shape swoops down on them from out of the blackness, first disbelief, then dismissal and then 'it's coming'. An intense feeling of impending doom.
'It was like being in a dark room and knowing, knowing someone was in there with you sharing the space. You could feel them but you could never really be sure where they were until they reached out and touched you.'
Then something hit the SUV, scraped along the roof with claws and Route 50 suddenly turns into the road to hell, and not due to Chris Rea singing. Panic stations, absolute terror and the vehicle flips of the road, Jim's friends are literally ripped from the vehicle by something just a little bit frightening.
Conspiracy theorists are us contact him and Jim is drawn, quite willingly back to the scene of the incident, where he really, really shouldn't go within a million miles of. It becomes an obsession that is never going to end well.
As monsters stories go this wasn't one of Tim Currans best efforts, I kinda rode with it but, well, it was a gentle ride not one fraught with unnerving danger or scares. As folklore myths go, it was just too easy to find. I felt that if I went down Route 50 in a tank wearing a blindfold with earplugs in, I'd still run into this nightmare monster. I mean if you stood there and felt a sudden draft followed by a stench of death, then yep, it's just flown over you. I wasn't really bothered with any of the characters, they never felt real and I didn't care whether any of them survived. In conclusion, it's well written as all Tim Curran's stuff is, some will love it, I didn't.
Now Vampire stories fall in two tidy little boxes in my world, you have the ones to be avoided at all cost, the ones that focus on the lovey dovey smuNow Vampire stories fall in two tidy little boxes in my world, you have the ones to be avoided at all cost, the ones that focus on the lovey dovey smutley side of things in Twilightesque fashion.
And the ones where vampires are violent animals, killers with no remorse that can jump in trampolining stylie to the top of buildings with 30 days of night on the mind.
So Twilight or 30 days.
Well I have to say Bryan Smith has veered toward Twilight and its taken him well under 30 days to get there, unfortunately. There's the usual Smith sex and violence with an undertone of compelling power from female quarter but yeah there's too much WTF going on.
David Rucker is ensnared by a fantastically attractive (aren't they all), yet ancient (aren't they all), luscious and freakishly powerful (aren't they all), and do you want to live forever as my sex slave babe (you have no choice), type of vampire.
“You can come with me to my secret place.” “You mean... your home?” "Yes. We can go there now, be there in a matter of moments, if you accept my offer. I'll show you pleasures beyond anything you ever dreamed possible. You’ll have power. You’ll live forever.” A hint of a smile. “In a manner of speaking.”
Beam me up Scotty, no sorry you can't have vampires traveling by teleportation, it's just not fucking right, to magically appear and disappear at will, no I'm not having it.
No definitely No.
And this switching into Hoover suction mode to drain every last drop of blood out of your victim, repeatedly. Sounds more like a kitchen appliance to me.
Shoot me now and put me out of my misery.
The only good vampire in my opinion apart from the decapitated type is one that kills and kills and kills not shags and shags and shags with a bit of killing post coital.
So Fuck the review I’m a gonna give you a vampire joke instead.
3 vampires are having a competition to prove who's the most vicious vampire amongst them.
The strongest one started first.
"Watch this," He said as he flies so fast, about 100 miles an hour. After only 10 minutes, he comes back with blood all over his mouth. "what happened?" they asked. "did you see that house over there?" "yes?" "well.. I killed the entire family and sucked the blood dry!" "wow!? fascinating, as expected from the strongest vampire"
Then the eldest one takes the next turn. "Watch and learn," he said as he flies even faster, about 120 miles an hour. After only 5 minutes, he comes back with blood all over his mouth and his neck. "what happened??" they asked. "did you see that village over there?" "ye..yes?" "well.. I killed every last person in that village and sucked the blood dry!" "wow!? magnificent! truly amazing, we can expect no less from the eldest one!"
Finally the last turn belongs to the fastest one. "Don't blink or you'll miss it" he said as he flies really fast, even faster than the other two, about 140 miles an hour. After only a mere 30 seconds, he comes back with blood all over his mouth, his neck, and a broken nose. "wh..what happened???" they asked. "did you see that big fucking tree over there?" "ye..yes?!" "well.. I didn't"
The Pariahs by Erik Hofstatter is an intriguing novella set in the years following the nuclear disaster at Chernobyl. The story starts with the kidnapThe Pariahs by Erik Hofstatter is an intriguing novella set in the years following the nuclear disaster at Chernobyl. The story starts with the kidnapping of two children, Demyan and Akilina by Kalashnikov wielding men in radiation suits. Descendants of the disaster both children live with the abnormalities caused by radiation poisoning.
Seventeen years had passed since the disaster, there had been rumours of the government taking children but after all this time? They wake in a cell, in the cold hell of Siberian. Separated, frantic with worry, the older brother Demyan is desperate to see his sister again, to make sure she's ok.
Someone in the cell below starts to communicate with Demyan, conversations of the damned, a girl named Taisiya who claims she was born in this prison and can take him to see his sister, help him escape. The children are unwittingly part of an experiment in a biomedical research facility, in a setting that screams horror, friendships are formed but who can you really trust? Your family? Those you rely on with no question, or new friends? Trust no-one.
The same timeline is told from three perspectives, one after the other so there is an air of repetition as the story threads its path via each protagonist. The story is well written, a little predictable to some extent, heartless and touched with a sadness built from despair and false hope. There was also an incredulous moment when a confession of betrayal is quickly forgotten and trust established a little too easily, or maybe not as regards the end result. The story offers little character depth which in my opinion would have enhanced the story significantly considering the harsh lives the children must have lived, the balance is a difficult one to obtain but would have made you care about the children and their plight.
The Pariahs was provided by the author in an exchange for an honest review and that's what you have.
I read Keith Deiningers stories and more often than not I'm left with a feeling of uncertainty coupled with awe, half the time I haven't got a fuckingI read Keith Deiningers stories and more often than not I'm left with a feeling of uncertainty coupled with awe, half the time I haven't got a fucking Scooby Doo as to what's going on and its bloody awesomesauce with a dose of Chuck Norris thrown in. I must stress these feelings are not because of bad writing or plot holes and the like, it's from never quite being sure whether I'm in someone's nightmare, a twisted mind or a reality encased in pure madness.
This one was a 10 part serial novella and I've decided I need to start taking drugs, everything may just slip into place then.
Buried Soldiers follows a guy named Grady, the opening sortie sees him as a kid watching an extremely disturbing act of violence at the hands of a young girl. We then quickly go to what I assume is our present time period and Grady is now some kind of ex-soldier hiding from a horde of people and violence. We then learn of a fever, which could bring about dreams as our protagonist hides in his basement. So the story could effectively be in the mind of a boy, a man who thinks back to his childhood while living in a fucked up world or a combination of both within fevered dreams.
I need to read this again without the breaks but I certainly recommend it, Keith Deininger makes me want to trip face nuggets. That is all. ...more
In 1979 Hollers Hill just on the outskirts of Eckert was the site of one of the most unique UFO eye witness accounts in history. A saucer like craft wIn 1979 Hollers Hill just on the outskirts of Eckert was the site of one of the most unique UFO eye witness accounts in history. A saucer like craft was observed hovering over the hill emitting a wondrous blue beam that caused the ground to shake, now 30 years later the tremors have returned and something even more dangerous. Blue Slime, with a mind of its own, complete with the power to turn you into a raving killer.
Boom Town is a horror novella by Glenn Rolfe which was released in April, 2015 from Samhain Publishing. Glenn Rolfe is a fairly new author, still cutting his teeth with just a handful of stories released of which this one was my first taste.
We follow a myriad of characters, some deeply under the influence of the alien stimulant and others just discovering the effects of the blue slime. Whatever you do, don't touch the fucking stuff, is a lesson that soon becomes apparent.
On the whole this is not a badly written novella, there's fleeting humour of the pissing yourself while bladdered variety, a bunch of kids bumbling round whilst everything around them disintegrates and some good wordplay interspersed with the odd thing that didn't quite feel right.
'Decorations fell like people from the titanic' was a not so good example, along with 'Fear swallowed her like a cyanide pill, poisonous and final'. Yet probably in equal measure some good stuff like 'his headache pounded like a bass drum behind his eyes and took a turn down migraine lane'. Glenn Rolfe is an author to keep an eye on, it will be interesting to see if his promise delivers in the future.
I read Bleedovers completely unaware that it is the second novella in the Crossfades Dystopian novella series and my first read from William Todd RoseI read Bleedovers completely unaware that it is the second novella in the Crossfades Dystopian novella series and my first read from William Todd Rose.
Mental note: must start the headache inducing drag known as research. That said I didn't really feel like I'd missed much concerning the premise of a Crossfade but maybe a little with respect to the protagonists history.
What's a Crossfade? Well first an introduction into the world building. There exists a secret government agency, more secret than both Men in Black and X-files, based in an underground hideaway and known as the Institute. They exist to sort of compartmentalize and even add a slight technological aspect to the supernatural. Our technicians are able to project their spirit into a Crossfade, kind of like a nightmare conceived by the souls of the dead unable to pass on. Where their physical body is nothing more than an illusion in the realm of the dead, and they 'longed to return to the physical world, to claim their spot among the living, and hang on to it with everything they had.'
Chuck Grainger is our protagonist with his handler, a woman known only as control and a young girl from Physical Research and Anomalies, concerned with the paranormal. When The Crossfades start to bleedover, uncontrolled into the physical world and a ghost kills a sleeper then it's time to go against all protocol and fight what's coming.
The story starts off with an extremely creepy Crossfade in a school that finishes with a slightly silly jump across a number of rotting pumpkins hanging by chains from the ceiling. It then goes into familiar territory where you never know what's real, nightmare, Crossfade or a mixture. Is it a bird, is it a plane, am I still asleep, pinch myself, gotta be awake now surely, no there's a bag with my severed head in it. Finally conscious after a couple of false alarms, sure I've been here before.
Joking aside there's some really good ideas in here, the writings crisp, good pace and flow to the story. It certainly felt unique yet at the same time strangely familiar, maybe because I've read or seen movies mimicking some of the concepts and I'm sure I'll read others in the future.
I received Bleedovers from Random House Publishing Group & Netgalley in exchange for an honest review and that’s what you’ve got.
Richard Heinz is a psychopath, a convicted killer and he's escaped from a secure mental hospital, or the nut house if you prefer. This guy's highly daRichard Heinz is a psychopath, a convicted killer and he's escaped from a secure mental hospital, or the nut house if you prefer. This guy's highly dangerous so who do we have to recapture him, MCU agents Howard Hopkins and rookie Dr Jessica Bennett and he's hiding in a forest.
So what's the plan, we'll get every Police Officer available within 50 miles of the vicinity, cordon off the area so not even a hedgehog could emerge without being seen and start a systematic search pattern, no problem, he's going nowhere he's in a small forest. Wrong, our two agents decide to go in alone while the Police stand back and watch the exits. Heinz has a hostage and guess what, after their first meeting, he now has the rookie’s gun and he starts killing with it.
If I was a policeman reading this, I might take it for a comedy with the Chuckle brothers in disguise coordinating the search. To me, to you, you have the gun we've only got one, no you have it I trapped my trigger finger in the car door.
Things progress and it gets more ridiculous by the second as the blueprint for how not to conduct a manhunt seems to be the only thing these agents have read in recent times. Finally needing a civilian to get them out of the shit, a predictable novella that is certainly entertaining.
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