Carnies - by Martin Livings - "They're not what they seem to be. Dig deeper."

4 of 5 Stars     Review copy

The Australian horror community is rich with talent.  Martin Livings is a Perth-based writer who has had over sixty short stories in a variety of magazines and anthologies.  Carnies is his first full-length novel, first published several years ago, it was nominated for both the Aurealis and Ditmar awards.  Carnies is now available as an e-book from Cohesion Press.

The story begins with an incident at the Tillbrook Pub where a biker gang has a run-in with three men who walk into the bar.  You can't say they weren't warned, as the barmaid tells them, "'You...' she stammered, you shouldn't chase those folk....' She sought the right word for a moment.  'They're not...right.'"

Paul and David Hampden are brothers.  David works for a paper, but is no longer a big deal.  He's been reduced to puff pieces for the weekend magazine. Paul is currently unemployed, but is actually a pretty good photographer.  David offers his brother a job taking pictures at a carnival no one's ever heard of and off they go.  What they find is darker than they could ever imagine.

Nothing is unimportant in this story.  I really enjoyed the way Martin would take some little tidbit from earlier in the work and then drop in a follow-up with little or no fanfare.  As a reader, I like to experience that sense of discovery.

Carnies is a good read and is available now, both in paperback and e-book formats, through Amazon.com.

Recommended.

The Exiled - by William Meikle - Horror, plain and simple, with some pretty grim stuff, and the truth is beyond belief.

5 of 5 Stars  

William Meikle is a Scottish writer, now living in Newfoundland, Canada.  I happen to enjoy his frequent Facebook posts with pictures of icebergs floating by.  That has nothing to do with this book, I just happen to like those pics.

As fate would have it, I also happen to like Willie's new book.  Set in his native Scottland, The Exiled, features brothers, John and Alan Grainger.  The former is a copper and the later a cub reporter.

They don't really keep in touch until the brutal slaying of a black swan and the simultaneous disappearance of a six-year-old girl bring them together and throw them into a compelling mystery which takes them to a place neither of them even knew existed.  They may not have been close before, but let an outsider try to harm one, the other will give his all for his brother.

I loved the mood, the settings, and the colorful language of The Exiled.  I found the story to be original and well written.  "'There's always been stories about these parts,' he said, almost a whisper.  'You can't swing a cat around here without hitting a haunted castle or a fairy wood or a bogle's cave.  There are some things that can't be explained--some things you shouldn't look at too closely.  That's all I'm saying.'"

The Exiled is certainly not a pleasant story.  It's horror, plain and simple, with some pretty grim stuff, and the truth is beyond belief.

As I was preparing this review, I happened upon the following quote from the author and I thought I'd share...

"The nightmare? I've been having it off and on since I was a boy. It's of a bird - a huge, black, bird. The stuff that dreams are made of. 

In the nightmare I'm on the edge of a high sea cliff. I feel the wind on my face, taste salt spray, smell cut grass and flowers. I feel like if I could just give myself to the wind I could fly. Then it comes, from blue, snow covered mountains way to the north, a black speck at first, getting bigger fast. Before I know it it is on me, enfolding me in feathers. It lowers its head, almost like a dragon, and puts its beak near my ear. It whispers. 

I had the dream many times, and always woke up at this point. 

Then, in 1991, I heard what it said. 

'Will we talk about the black bird?'

The next morning, for the first time since 1976, I wrote a story. It wasn't a very good story, but something had been woken up, and the day after that I wrote another, a wee ghost story. It didn't have a black bird in it, but it did have some jazz, and a sultry broad, a murder and some dancing. When that one made me 100 pounds in a ghost story competition, I was on my way. 

The bird comes back and whispers to me every couple of years - I've come to think of it as my spirit guide. Although it terrifies me, it also reassures me in a weird kind of way. As long as it's around, I'll still be a writer and not just a drunk with weird ideas he can't express. 

The bird's most recent appeareance was last year, and the next morning I had an idea. THE EXILED, my Darkfuse novel is a way of making sense of that dream - I think I got close to the heart of it. 

Will we talk about the black bird?"

The Exiled will be published in paperback and for the Kindle on July 1, 2014 from Darkfuse, a small press that, in my opinion, has become synonymous with quality.

Highly recommended.

Devourer of Souls - by Kevin Lucia - One of the most creepy books I've read in some time

5 of 5 Stars     Review copy

If Stephen King and H.P. Lovecraft had a bastard child, his name would be Kevin Lucia.  Devourer of Souls is one of the most creepy books I've read in some time. By the way, that's a compliment.  I love creepy.  Mixing small town realism with Lovecraftian style mythos, Lucia has delivered two loosely connected stories in one entertaining new book.

Devourer of Souls is set in the fictional town of Clifton Heights, and areas nearby, in the Adirondack mountains. There is a small group of men who meet at the Skylark diner and discuss it's secrets.  You see, strange things happen in Clifton Heights and, for some reason, these men know more about those things than your average citizen.

First up, two boys, Nate Slocum and Jake Burns, both sons of single fathers who served in Vietnam, but the similarities end there.  They are introduced to the ancient game of Souphan (Fate) by an elder Vietnamese man named Mr.Trung.  Jake believes Mr. Trung has captured his father's soul through this game and Jakes's plan for revenge leads to dire consequences.

The later story takes place in the nearby town of Tahawus where the man in yellow has come to lead Vacation Bible School at the local church.  "...the man in yellow offered folks much subtler prizes: health. Freedom from physical and emotional pain.  Acceptance and belonging.  Stronger eyesight, confident speech.  Clean, clear breath.  And the townspeople lapped those things up like newborn kittens drinking milk, never once considering the cost."  

In addition to the man in yellow, there's also a reference to Carcosa.  Out of curiosity, I reached out to Kevin and asked if he watched HBO's True Detectives.  Kevin says he plans to, but had not seen an episode.  My response was that I think Kevin's Muse and Nic Pizzolatto's Muse must be drinking buddies.

Keven Lucia has a gift for putting creepy down on the page and there are a lot of nice touches to the stories, like the Wednesday night creature features in the park the boys like to attend.  Very cool.

Devourer of Souls is available now in paperback and will be available as an e-book on June 30th, 2014, through Amazon.com, from Ragnarok Publications who are really on a roll of late.

Highly recommended.

The Lazarus Initiative - by Steven Savile and David Sakmyster - Virtual reality meets Near Death Experience

4 of 5 Stars     Review Copy

The Lazarus Initiative takes the reader on an exhilarating ride, mixing heavy research on the Near Death Experience (NDE) and Virtual Reality (VR).

Steven Savile and David Sakmyster combine for a wildly imaginative story of Nicolas Sheridan, CEO of Echelon, a gaming company that has all but cornered the market on VR. Nicolas dies in a suspicious plane crash, but is brought back to life, leading to a fascination with NDE.

The story plays out in three different areas as Nicolas surrounds himself with others in various fields who have each had similar NDEs researching the phenomena.  At the same time Echelon Corp's VP, Gregory McCormack, wants Nicolas out of the picture so he can pursue some frightening VR  research the military has an interest in.  And then there's a kind of mysticism involving a Grey Man, a shape-shifting coyote, and an ancient deity who wants nothing more than to bring a permanent end to those who have come back. Who knows, maybe they're all the same entity.

The authors do an excellent job of weaving the story-lines into a fast-paced, compelling tale filled with excitement, intrigue and one very big, very unexpected twist.

The Lazarus Initiative is published, as an e-book, from BadPress and is available now through Amazon.com and if you subscribe to Amazon Prime, you can read it for FREE using the Kindle Owners' Lending Library.

Recommended.

Relic Of Death - by David Bernstein - Wildly original novella

5 of 5 Stars

Relic Of Death is a brilliantly conceived and executed horror novella. Many times a novella will leave me wanting more on some level.  More story, more character development, more of something.  Relic Of Death is perfect, just where it is.

It's difficult to give a story synopsis without revealing too much.  As you can tell from the beautiful cover (Darfuse always has exceptional covers), it has something to do with a mystical suitcase.

The story is told through a series of vignettes as the object changes hands violently over time.  Before it all becomes too repetitious, Bernstein reveals the truth about the Relic Of Death and gives the tale some closure, for now.

This is my first time reading David Bernstein, it certainly won't be my last.  With clear, crisp prose, he delivers page after page just what the story calls for.  No fluff, no wasted words.

Relic Of Death is another winning entry in the Darkfuse novella series.  My bookclub membership is the best money I've ever spent with a small press.

Official release date is June 24, 2014.  Relic Of Death will be available in a variety of formats and if you have an Amazon Prime membership you can read it for FREE through the Kindle Owners Lending Library.

Highly recommended!

Kumquat - by Jeff Strand - A comedic love story

 5 of 5 Stars     Review copy

When it comes to writing, Jeff Strand has two passions, horror and comedy, and he often combines the two with much success.  With his latest novel, Kumquat, Jeff gives his readers a comedic love story for adults and takes us on the road-trip of a lifetime from Florida to Rhode Island to PhaserCon in San Francisco.

Todd Bryan meets Amy Husk at what is arguably the worst film festival ever and they bond over a fictional sci-fi series "Exit Red."  One thing leads to another and, before you know it, the two are driving from Florida to Rhode Island to get a hot dog from Hunky Dory Dogs.

To say that things go awry would be putting it mildly.  The trip is like Murphy's Law on steroids.  There's a lot I'm not saying here, you really should discover this one for yourself.

Kumquat is one of those books you just don't want to end.  Great characters, crazy fun, and the unexpected at every turn.

The ebook should be available at Amazon.com on July 1st, so set a reminder for yourself to pick it up when it's released.

Highly recommended.

Georgie - by Robert Ford - Word for word the best horror I've read this year

5 of 5 Stars

Robert Ford posted a link to this short story as a FREE gift for Father's Day.  As of the posting of this review it's still FREE at Amazon.com.  Go get it now and then come back to finish reading this review.

The opening paragraph just knocked my socks off.  This is only a short story. but it packs more horror per word than any full length novel I've read this year.

As a father and now grandfather, I was repulsed.  What happens is terrible, yet I couldn't put it down.

Robert Ford is not the most prolific writer, but he's a solid writer who chooses every word carefully.  So why is this story FREE?  Well, being the smart marketing man that he is, Robert has included a sample from his novella Samson and Denial, in hopes you'll like it and buy that one.  Pretty clever.

Georgie is available now at Amazon.com.  If you love horror, I can't recommend this one enough.