The Terminal - by Amber Fallon - Think Airport meets War of the Worlds

4 of 5 Stars

Pulp is not dead.  You can relive those thrilling days of yesteryear just by picking up this debut novella from Amber Fallon.

Dirk Bradley is so happy about finding the man of his dreams that he's actually at O'Hare International Airport with Dylan, waiting to travel home to share his good fortune with his estranged parents. But, then...

I don't want to reveal what happened, that would be too much of a spoiler, but I can tell you it happened fast and it was catastrophic.

In the words of the story's protagonist, it "would make a great Sci Fi Channel movie-of-the-week."  I know it's now SyFy, but that's the quote.

You can tell The Terminal  is a first published work, but the story is solid and it's an enjoyable read, in a pulpy sort of way.

Published by Fresh Pulp Press, The Terminal is available in both paperback and e-book formats.  If you subscribe to Kindle Unlimited you can read this book at no additional charge.  Also, if you subscribe to Amazon Prime you can read it for FREE through the Kindle Owners Lending Library.

Amber Fallon is a new voice in horror worthy of your attention.  She is also an IT Nerd, Gamer, and Geek. Amber resides in the great state of Massachusetts

Hollow House - by Greg Chapman - Much more than just a haunted house story

4 of 5 Stars     Review copy

Here's how to set the tone for your book.  One of the best opening lines I've read this year...

The stench of putrefaction leaked from the Kemper House into the air over Willow Street for three days before any of the neighbours noticed it.

Hollow House is much more than a simple haunted house story. What lurks inside 27 Willow Street affects everyone in the area in one way or another.

This is a dark and gruesome tale, with an ever-increasing creep factor as we learn more about The Kemper House and other buildings designed and built by architect, Eric Kemper.

Ben Traynor is a star reporter for the local rag and happens to live right across the street from The Kemper House.  He's the one that uncovers its history and his relentless investigation just might cost him his life.

In telling his story, Chapman manages to capture teenage angst to a T.  Sibling rivalry, parent/child relationships, they're all here and they all ring true.

With Hollow House, the author has taken a tired trope and breathed new life into the haunted house story form, leaving the reader with a captivating and enjoyable read.

Certainly recommended.

Hollow House is published by Omnium Gatherum Media and is available as a paperback and for the Kindle.  if you subscribe to Kindle Unlimited you may read it at no additional charge and if you're an Amazon Prime member you can read Hollow House for FREE through the Kindle Owners Lending Library.

Greg Chapman is a horror author and artist from Australia and in the last 5 years he's had 5 novellas published as well as a short story collection.  Hollow House is his long awaited first novel.  It's about time, Greg.

The Last Firefly of Summer - by Robert Ford - Bob Ford takes no prisoners with his writing

5 of 5 Stars

Bob Ford takes no prisoners with his writing.  With his latest novella, The Last Firefly of Summer, Bob managed to tear my heart out and later gave me sweet revenge, resulting in a totally satisfying read.

The story of first love, true love, the love where you would do absolutely anything for the other person.  Anything.

The Last Firefly of Summer is the story of Patrick Walder, his love for the Pastor's daughter, Sunni Hackett, his time in prison, and his life after release.  Three close-knit stories in one solid novella.

Strongly recommended.

The Last Firefly of Summer is available in both paperback and e-book formats.

Robert Ford writes stories that are always focused on the characters, first and foremost. Anything else just happens to be happening. "If I can write a story that makes the reader feel—laugh, or cry, or get angry or upset—if I can write an engaging story that involves the reader and hits them emotionally, then, and only then, have I done my job."

Previous works include The Compound, and Samson and Denial.  Robert currently lives in central Pennsylvania.

The Night Parade - by Ronald Malfi - A creepy vibe and some genuinely terrifying moments

5 of 5 Stars     Review copy

First the birds disappeared.
Then the insects took over. 
Then the madness began . . .

A building sense of foreboding.  Something has happened, is happening.

It's an amazing feeling when you start a new book by a capable writer. one who gently takes you by the hand and guides you on your journey.  Ronald Malfi is such a writer.

Malfi is a master at giving the reader just enough to draw you into his world and then slowly reveals bits and pieces until it all comes together.  Much like painter creating a work of art by adding layer after layer until the piece is just right.

There is a new plague in the land. Wanderer's Folly, which results in nosebleeds, hallucinations, and ultimately death.  No one knows the cause or even how the disease is transmitted.  There is no cure. Some regions are devastated and others are barely affected. David Arden and his soon to be nine-year-old daughter, Ellie are on the run.  You see, Ellie is special, not only is she immune, but she's exhibiting other talents.  Talents which may be a result of her immunity or the reason for it.  And, of course, the government wants to know more.

The dialog in The Night Parade is brisk and delightfully refreshing.

I generally don't enjoy stories with flashbacks, but I found Malfi's use of the technique to be effective and useful in filling in the gaps of the events which lead to David and Ellie's current situation. One such flashback featured the tale of a Freez-E-Friend truck pulling up in the Arden's cul de sac, at one in the morning, in the dead of winter.

The reveal of the story behind the book's title was charming and effective.

The Night Parade has a creepy vibe and some genuinely terrifying moments.  I even teared up a time or two.  It's everything I look for in a great read.

Highly recommended.

Published by Kensington Press, The Night Parade is available in paperback, e-book, and audio formats.

Ronald Damien Malfi was born in Brooklyn, New York and spent most of his childhood growing up along the Chesapeake Bay. He professed an interest in the arts at an early age and is also known to be a competent artist and musician. In 1999, he graduated with a degree in English from Towson University. For a number of years, he fronted the Maryland-based alternative rock band Nellie Blide.

Most recognized for his haunting, literary style and memorable characters, Malfi's horror novels and thrillers have transcended genres to gain wider acceptance among readers of quality literature. He currently lives along the Chesapeake Bay.

The Devil's Evidence - by Simon Kurt Unsworth - The Devil's Detective is back

4 of 5 Stars     Review copy

Thomas Fool, The Devil's Detective, is an Information Man and a human among demons.  Fool is now the Commander of the Information Office, a position in Hell for which he gets little respect.

Now there's a new department in Hell, The Evidence, headed by Mr. Tap.  All they seem to do is get in the way of the Information Men.  "They didn't investigate, they simply tore things apart and reached conclusions that made little or no sense, and then executed justice on the spot."

As Fool and his team are investigating a series of arsons and murders, he is called away to be part of a special delegation to Heaven.  While in Heaven, he learns of some mysterious deaths there.  Heaven blames Hell.  Hell blames Heaven.  Can Thomas Fool uncover the truth before there's an all out war?

The Devil's Evidence turned out to be a worthy sequel to The Devil's Detective, and  was slightly better than book one.  More fantasy than horror, but it does get rather gruesome at times.  Pure escapism requiring a total suspension of disbelief.  This is not an easy read, but it is an interesting and entertaining foray into a completely different world and the final twist is pure gold.

From Doubleday, The Devil's Evidence: A Novel, is available in hardback, e-book and audio formats.

Simon Kurt Unsworth as born in Manchester and lives in a farmhouse in Cumbria, in the United Kingdom.  He is the author of The Devil's Detective and many short stories, including the collections Lost Places, Quiet Houses, and Strange Gateways.

Blister: A Novel - by Jeff Strand - Don't even read my review, just go buy the book, you can thank me later

5 of 5 Stars     Review copy

Jason Tray is a popular cartoonist.  Four panels a day with ten on Sundays. After an incident involving his dog, Ignatz, a couple of neighborhood brats, a fake chain saw, and a make-believe severed head, his manager decides to send him off to his cabin until things settle down.

While ostensibly on vacation and trying to stay away from trouble, Jason meets a women some fifteen years his younger who was horribly disfigured by her then boyfriend five years ago.

What follows is a charming romance story/horrible nightmare. Blister can be likened to standing in line for what you think is the tamest roller coaster at the amusement park, only to discover it's really the tallest and fastest, with more twists and turns and loops than any you've ever ridden before.  But, wow, what a ride.

I've read several books by Jeff Strand and this is one of my favorites.  I thoroughly enjoyed the dark humor, cringe-worthy horror, and even the off-beat romance.  Blister truly is something special, with oh-wow moments and a reference to one of the most forgettable recordings of 1970.  When you get to it, be sure and look up it's Wikipedia page online.

Highly recommended.

Blister: A Novel is available in paperback, e-book, and audio formats from Sinister Grin Press.  If you subscribe to Kindle Unlimited you can read it at no additional charge.  Also, if you are an Amazon Prime member you can read it for FREE using the Kindle Owners Lending Library.

Jeff Strand's books include Wolf Hunt, A Bad Day For Voodoo, Dead Clown Barbecue, and a bunch of others.  He lives in Tampa, Florida, with his wife and two cats names Chaos and Mayhem.

The Kraken Sea - by E. Catherine Tobler - A rather surreal look at a monster trying to be a normal boy

4 of 5 Stars     Review copy

I finished reading The Kraken Sea a few days ago.  Usually I'll write my review the same day I finish reading a book, but in this instance I wanted to allow time for it all to sink in.

As a horror fan, The Kraken Sea was a book I wanted to read, after all, the word "Kraken" is right there in the title and make no mistake about it, there are Kraken in this tale, but it certainly wan't what I expected.

The work of E. Catherine Tobler is new to me and she is indeed a very capable writer.  This particular piece is more literary in it's approach and after reading a series of in-your-face monster novels, The Kraken Sea was a welcome change of pace.

The opening to the novella really gives you an idea of the kind of story-telling to follow.

It began with a dragon in the pouring rain, the beast barely held at bay, balanced upon two thin steel rails.  Steam poured from its black mouth and guts, billowing through the damp gloom.  A brief spark of after-rain sunlight caught within its glassy green eye, against sharp metal tooth, and when the steam gave way young Jackson could see it was no dragon, but a train.  The train was headed as far west as it could go and Jackson, aged fifteen-and-one-half, in the year of our Lord 1893, would be on it.

Jackson is a special child, dropped off with the nuns when he was but an infant, now on his way from NYC to San Francisco to a guardian who has requested a lad such as he.  A guardian who wears a live fox around her neck and that was just the beginning of the weirdness Jackson would find in his new home.

Jackson wants nothing more than to be a real human boy, but it's not his lot in life and the sooner he accepts the fact the better off he'll be.

The Kraken Sea was an intriguing story, filled with wonderful prose.  A tale I found to be rather surreal and enigmatic.

The Kraken Sea is available in both paperback and e-book formats from the Apex Book Company.

E. Catherine Tobler is a Sturgeon Award finalist and the senior editor at Shimmer Magazine and makes her home in Colorado.  She is the author of numerous short stories, as well as the Folley & Mallory series.