Tuesday 21 January 2014

Flesh Harvest by Jacob Rayne

This is the story of a creepy old barn. The barn has been the stuff of local folklore for a long time. Tales are told of something sinister in the barn, something that yearns for human flesh, and a spate of grisly murders would attest to that. The Momente family have had a call that their missing dog has been seen near the barn. Will they find their dog, and will they make it out alive or will they join the many before them.......?

This was a high octane, high energy gorefest. It was, quite simply, fab. I loved the idea, and the twist at the end sort of left the door open for more, or an expansion of this novella. The characters were solid, and although there were only a few of them, they carried the story well. The pace belted along, and I was swept up in the story until the end. I totally recommend this as a quick read, that packs a lot of punch!

Friday 17 January 2014

Sunshine by Jacob Rayne

This is the story of Paul and Janet. They are on holiday in the United States to try and patch up their marriage following Paul's affair with his secretary. One day while sitting round the pool, some of the holiday makers turn into murderous psychopaths and go on a rampage attacking anyone and everyone in their path. What has caused this dramatic change and can Paul, and Janet make it out alive?

I enjoyed this, it was a nice easy read with a great flow to it. The tension was kept up throughout the length of the book, and culminated in the sudden and unexpected ending. The characters were solid and believable, and their fear was tangible. This was a great horror novella from a bright new talent on the horror scene.

Saturday 11 January 2014

Hell's Door by Sandy DeLuca

This is the story of Lacey and John. They are police partners tasked with the capture of a killer indiscriminately killing prostitutes, beheading and mutilating the bodies, and calling himself Gabriel. Lacey and John think it is local female pimp Ramsay, who owns the Hell's Door nightclub, a den of sheer depravity. Unknown to them though, there is far more to this case than initially thought...

This was a fast paced, smack you in the mouth serial killer thriller. I was onto a winner straight away as it is in my favourite genre. I read it in two sitting as it sucked me in totally. The characters were so easy to warm to, and I felt for John when his backstory was revealed. The twist at the end was as shocking as it was unexpected. This is the 2nd book I have read from this author, and I shall be on the lookout for more.

Tuesday 7 January 2014

Corrosion by Jon Bassoff

This is the story of Joseph Downs. He is on the way to the Mountains when his pickup breaks down. He is forced to seek refuge in the nearest town while his truck is fixed. Horribly scarred while doing service in Iraq- peoples reactions to him are varied. But is Joseph all he seems?

This was a truly unique book. I must admit it took me a while to get used to the strange narrative but once I did, there was no stopping me. The story was gritty, and visceral and will stay with me for a long time I think. That's partly why I have left this review for a couple of days, as I was still inwardly digesting the story. I loved the characters, they had an edge and a rawness that appealed to me. The pace was unrelenting, and forced me to read it in three sittings! All in all, this is a belter of a debut, and would be thrilled to read more from this author.