Psychopath for Hire by Matt Shaw

This is the story of Nathan Cole. He runs a group for people who have tried to commit suicide, and runs a 'special' one to one service for the more determined. Enter broken, alcoholic ex-detective Martin Andrews. He has been told about the service by the only client Nathan let go. What he uncovers is interesting to say the least....

This is a stand-alone book, but you will understand much more of the back story if you have previously read Art and Seed. I felt odd rooting for the bad guy, (Made me feel like I was reading Peter again!) but that is exactly how I felt whilst reading. It is told from Nathan and Martin's POV in alternating chapters. The gore is there in spades, as is Matt's 'special' brand of sickness. It was nice to see Andrews's story rounded off, and there was a couple of cameo appearances from old favourites. All in all, a must read with a kick-ass twist in the end.

Blackout by Tim Curran

This is the story of Jon. He wakes up after a neighbourhood party to find his wife missing and a bizarre storm raging. He ventures outside to find his wife and fumbling around in the dark he comes across strange snake like cables strewn across his garden. Then the lights go out and all hell breaks loose...

I have read a few of Tim's books now and none of them have disappointed me. This was no exception - full of atmosphere and menace. I could feel Jon's panic as he tried in vain to search for his wife, and his grief at eventually coming to terms with her inevitable fate. I must admit this one was so descriptive in places I was looking over my shoulder, and I certainly did not read it with the lights off! Another winner in my eyes.

Angel of the Abyss by Ed Kurtz

This is the story of Graham. He is asked by Leslie Wheeler to come to Hollywood to restore some old and forgotten cine reels. When he arrives, with his friend Jake in tow, he finds her dead and a mystery on his hands. This is just the beginning of his nightmare, which has him knee deep in dead bodies, age old secrets and the whereabouts of a leading lady who has been missing for over 80 years.

This was quite slow to start and I found it a little difficult to get into, and I nearly gave up. I am so glad I didn't however as I found myself immersed in a complex noir mystery that kept me page turning. I like the dual storyline, giving us a glimpse into Graces life in parallel to the main storyline. The characters were solid, and I enjoyed the development of Jake and Grahams friendship over the course of the book. This is another great DarkFuse title.

I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Ghosts of Eden by Keith Deininger

This is the story of Kayla and Garty. Kayla comes from an abusive, neglectful family and Garty is a hopeless drug addict. Unbeknownst to themselves they are brother and sister, and have been sent to stay with their strange and enigmatic Uncle Xander. Their Uncle believes that Kayla has powers and Garty is there to be his assistant. They both have no idea though that Xander has other, nefarious plans...

This was really, really trippy! There were several threads and realities converging on each other and at first it was difficult to work out what went where, but once I had a handle on where the story was going, I had an absolute blast reading it. I loved the characters, and the 'otherworldliness' lent an interesting twist to the story.

Embrace of the Dead by Ian Woodhead

This is the story of Dean, a scientist working in a secret underground lab in London. Something has gone wrong and all his coworkers are turning into the undead. He returns home to the sleepy village of Seeton to try and work on a cure, unaware the horror is following him and that the villagers are highly suspicious and mistrustful of strangers. Together with another returnee, Alison, they work together to try and solve the problem.

This is another belter by Ian. He is fast becoming the master of the zombie genre, I have yet to read one of his that I haven't liked. Once again the characters are believable and tangible. The village of Seeton was lifelike and just sleepy enough to be realistic. The story flowed nicely, and I found myself rooting for Dean and Alison to get through the horror intact. There were the obligatory odious characters you just have to love to hate and Ian does seem to make them particularly obnoxious! The ending was satisfying and I wasn't disappointed.

I recommend this as a must read for fans of Ian's and also to newcomers as it is not your usual run of the mill zombie slash fest.

Disclaimer....this is my review for ZombieDead as this is the same story re-edited and with a new cover and title.

The Sleeping Dead by Richard Farren Barber

This is the story of Jackson. He is intent on leaving his dead end job and goes for an interview in a prestigious company. During the interview one of the directors begins to act strangely, and as Jackson is leaving the building afterwards, he witnesses the director throwing himself out of a top floor window. This is the first of a spate of suicides that rocks the city, and as Jackson tries to find his girlfriend he comes across another survivor. Together they must get to the bottom of whats going on, whilst trying to ignore the voices in his head telling him he is better off dead....

This was an interesting idea and a great story. I was hooked from the first page and the pace belted along and carried me right to the end. Although the bulk of the story was just two characters, they worked well together and reeled me in. The horror was subtle, and that made the story all the more creepy. Rather than out and out gore, most of it was psychological and that made it worse! This was another great addition to the DarkFuse library.

The Lone Bostonian by Sean Sweeney

Set 100 years into the future. This is the story of Terry. He works for a company that makes inexpensive tablets, but at a terrible cost for mankind. When his girlfriend is moved to another department, he vows to follow her. When he gets transferred there he notices something is very wrong with his girlfriend. This is just the beginning of the nightmare. When Boston is suddenly obliterated, he emerges from a subway to find he is the last person alive. He begins a journey to find other survivors, and to wreak revenge on the culprits...

This was a thrilling story. I was gripped from the first page, and couldn't put the book down. The idea was an interesting one, and one that could so easily happen which makes for unsettling reading! I felt for Terry as he made his perilous journey to find other survivors, and his devastation at losing everything that mattered to him. The pace was spot on and the ending was brilliant. A good sci-fi thriller that kept me glued to the page.