The Ghost In the Electric Blue Suit - by Graham Joyce - A truly mesmerizing read

5 of 5 Stars     Review copy

I just read a truly mesmerizing book.  The Ghost In the Electric Blue Suit by Graham Joyce is a book that takes you there.  "There" is the eastern shore of Britain. It's the hottest summer in living memory.  It's the summer of 1976.

Much to the disappointment of his mum and step-dad, David Barwise, takes a summer job at a resort in Skegness.  David is drawn to the locale by a photo of his birth father, taken in Skegness when David was a small child.

In many ways The Ghost In the Electric Blue Suit  reminded me of Dirty Dancing" (without the dancing).  Similar drama, summer romance, at a place families would go for their week long vacation.

Graham Joyce's writing style is comfortable, relaxing, lyrical at times.  As a reader I became immersed in the words to the point that it felt as if David's experiences where my own.

Throughout the story, David sees a man and a little boy, they are there one moment and gone the next.  The man is always in a blue suit that takes on the same phosphorescence as the sea.  Who is the man?  Who is the little boy?  What does it all mean?

The Ghost In the Electric Blue Suit  is the kind of story I may read again some day.  The characters are rich with personality and mostly a pleasure to be around and I wouldn't mind visiting with them from time to time.

The Ghost In the Electric Blue Suit will be available as an ebook, hardcover and Audio CD on August 5th, 2014 from Random House LLC.

Strongly recommended.

Plasm - by William Meikle - A nice mashup of Science Fiction and Lovecraftian Horror

4 of 5 Stars     Review copy

Take a salvage operation in space and mix in a healthy dose of mysticism, with Lovecraftian overtones, and you have a pretty good idea of what The Plasm is all about.

Steve Falmoth pilots a cargo rig in the asteroid belt between Earth and Mars.  He and his partner, Sam, stumble upon the VORDLAK, lost in space for eighty odd years.  The crew is gone, but what they find is straight out of your worst nightmares.

One of the nice things about reading a book by William Meikle is knowing it's not going to be the same as the last thing you read by William Meikle.

Although, a portion of the story is told in journal entries and I often feel that doesn't work, Meikle did an excellent job using this tool to convey key points to his story.

The Plasm was an interesting change of pace for me.  A little space adventure with a touch of horror.  I think other fans of horror, particularly stuff with a Lovecraftian flavor will enjoy this one.

Look for The Plasm, in a variety of formats, beginning July 29th, 2014 from Dark Regions Press.

Recommended.

                                                                                                                                    

Apartment 7C - by David Bernstein - This novella starts off slow, but packs quite a punch

5 of 5 Stars     Review Copy

Apartment 7C is a quick read about 82 year-old Beth Baker whose daughter, Alice, was killed, years ago, by her abusive husband.

When Beth moves into a new apartment and recognizes a similar pattern with her new neighbors, she is moved to take matters into her own hands.

Apartment 7C got off to a somewhat slow start for me and at one point I thought this was just going to be a story about the horrors of spousal abuse.  Granted that subject matter, in itself, is horrifying and it's difficult to comprehend why someone would continue to remain in such a situation.  The author does a nice job of explaining why Carl Baker's wife, Marcey, stays.  She truly is without options.

But, Apartment 7C is about more than spousal abuse.  It's about being haunted by your past and taking steps to provide justice when there's no other way.

Once the decision is made, what follows are a series of gut-wrenching scenes with truly disturbing images and OMG, just when you think it's enough, there's more.

There may be something wrong with me, but when I finished Apartment 7C I felt satisfied.  Justice had been served.

Apartment 7C is available now from Crossroad Press..

Not for the faint of heart, but I can highly recommend this one.

Operation: Ice Bat - edited by Brian Keene - A benefit anthology of top notch horror

4 of 5 Stars

Operation: Ice Bat is something special.  A group of talented writers coming together to help one of their their own.  Each one contributing a story for this anthology with all of the the money made going to the cause.  And at the same time, giving the reader a good time.

Eighteen stories from some of the best writers woking in the horror genre today.

The fun begins with a mining legend from Christopher Golden and "Breathe My Name."  The first thing I realised while reading this piece is it's been too long since I last read Christopher Golden.  A solid start to this strong anthology.

I won't mention every writer and story in this collection, you can easily check out the Table Of Contents online, but I will mention several of the standout tales.

Mandy DeGeit's cringe-worthy, "Inviolable," is truly disturbing, yet extremely effective.

James A. Moore's story, "Emily's Kill," combining Sherlock Holmes and a somewhat Lovecraftian tale, was very entertaining.

I also thoroughly enjoyed, "The Wretched Spawn," by Michael H. Antonio as he takes us from Land Sharks to something even more terrifying.

Not every story is great, but so many of them are.  I know that to say there is something for everyone is cliche, but it's also true.  Brothers fighting over their dead mother's reanimated corpse.  A giant mouth that just wants MORE.  A wonderful story of reaping what one sows. Yeti and a thirty-foot tall, mechanical penguin.  If you thought clowns were scary, wait til you meet Mary SanGiovanni' s mime.

BTW, the award for best title in the anthology goes to Mike Lombardo's "I'm Dreaming of a White Doomsday."

Do yourself a favor and pick up a copy of Operation: Ice Bat ASAP.  Available now from your favorite e-book retailer.  You'll be doing something nice and you'll get a lot of bang for your buck.

Definitely recommended.

The Buried Life - by Carrie Patel - A dystopian murder mystery

4 of 5 Stars     Review copy

The Buried Life is an enjoyable first novel by Carrie Patel.  Set in a future where many have chosen to live below the Earth's surface.  The fictional city of Recoletta, like all modern cities, had been constructed around the two values that society prized most, security and privacy.

It's important to note, most historical records were destroyed in the period immediately following The Catastrophe and any that did survive are severely restricted as to who can access them.

The story begins with the murder of Professor Werner Thomas Cahill, a historian working on a secret project...Prometheus.

Investigating the murder, are Inspector Liesl Malone and her new assistant, Inspector Randolph Sundar. There's a nice relationship that builds between these two characters and the author is skillful in dialog that rings true and is comfortable to read..

Soon after a second murder, that of Mr. Lanning Fitzhugh, a master Architect of the city, the Inspectors are forbidden by the city's council from investigating the case any further.  However, the Municipal Police and the Council don't exactly get along and at this point the Inspectors have come to far to let it go.

In addition to the police, there is also a laundry-woman and her reporter friend who become deeply involved in the mystery.

The Buried Life is actually well written and there is a pretty good story here, but in many ways, the writer has merely scratched the surface.  There is so much I found myself wanting to know about the back-story that just wasn't revealed.  What was The Catastrophe?  Why is this town underground?  Why is knowledge of the past denied to those living in the present?

The Buried Life will be available in print and e-book formats from the usual online retailers on July 29,2014 and is published by Angry Robot Books.

Bad Mojo: A Zora Banks Novel - by Shane Berryhill - "Southern-fried, supernatural noir" yeah, that's what we have here

4 of 5 Stars     Review copy

I don't often mention dedications when I do these reviews, but Shane Berryhill's dedication for Bad Mojo: A Zora Banks Novel is just so fitting for the book that follows, that I felt it was worth a quote. "To the people of Chattanooga, Tennessee. The good. The bad. And everyone In Between."

Imagine my delight when I found myself in a world filled with spooks of all types, vipers (vampires), werecreatures, hoodoo, zombies, and so much more. Plus, a subplot of a political hopeful with a dark secret. This is my kind of story.

Writer, Shane Berryhill, has an in-your-face style of writing that was well-suited for this particular tale. "...you can understand why the sight of a low-rent count and his bride standing outside my bar has my hackles up. Through the barred, Plexiglas door, it's obvious that the count is a Southern-fried Anne Rice reject--long and pale with the sharp, predatory features. The business end of his sandy mullet is greased to a quill-like perfection. The stringy party-in-the-back dangles unkempt over the up-turned collar of his dark brown duster. And where the hell did he find a lacey ruffle shirt in camo green?"

Ashley Owens (better call him Ash, unless you're family), isn't exactly normal himself. I believe he may be a werewolf, but it's all under control, thanks to some hoodoo from his partner Zora Banks. In Bad Mojo, Ash and Zora and their friends have to do battle a wide variety of spook and even pay a visit to the In Between.

Bad Mojo: A Zora Banks Novel turned out to be a lot of fun. There's plenty of room for a sequel, yet things are left pretty much resolved by book's end. Also, kudos to George C. Cotronis who did the cover art. Very nice indeed.

Look for Bad Mojo: A Zora Banks Novel to be available on Amazon on July 28th, 2014.

Subtropical Suspense - Edited by Cameron Trost - Tales of mystery and suspense set in the subtropical city of Brisbane, Australia.

4 of 5 Stars     Review Copy

I am a big fan of the Australian Horror community and when I saw the submission call for stories for Subtropical Suspense, from Cameron Trost and Black Beacon Books, I thought this would be a project I would really enjoy.  The truth of the matter is that fewer than half of the stories struck a chord with me.

One of those stories was right at the start of the book, "A Lasting Impression, " by FN Karmatz was very good, from the clever title to the well executed story of college roommates, one of them an accomplished thief.

"Penelope Potter," by Frank Ince, is a delightful tale of a con artist who gets conned herself, and I thoroughly enjoyed "Deluge," about an autistic young man who, through writing exercises, predicts the future or is it more than that?

After that there are several stories that are just OK.  There are police procedurals, missing husbands, a private eye story, a mystery involving attacks at a school, and others.

There is one other story that I really enjoyed.  "Blood On the Ice," by Helen Stubbs, had an element of horror and was a very well written story that takes place at an Ice Skating rink.

Subtropical Suspense is 16 tales of mystery and suspense set in the subtropical city of Brisbane, Australia. It did expose me to a number of new voices in speculative fiction, which is always nice.

Subtropical Suspense is scheduled for a launch date of July 19th, 2014, from Black Beacon Books.