​After receiving a head injury while playing hockey Nick and his wife Julia are off to Venice for a romantic vacation and to potentially book Julia an art gallery showing.  While visiting the Doge's Palace, Nick is entranced by Tintoretto's painting, Paradise. While looking at the masterpiece, Nick hears a voice of a woman speaking to him from the painting.  He tries to shake the voice, but after Nick is run out of the Doge's Palace, can suddenly understand Venetian, finds that the name of the woman that he heard was a real person and is having memories of a past life, Nick can't deny the voice is real and Julia knows there is more to the painting. As Nick and Julia uncover secrets, they draw the attention of a powerful and secret Venetian Order that wants them out of the picture. 

The Prisoner of Paradise is a fast paced thriller connecting past and present through one of the largest canvas paintings, Paradise. From the beginning, I was engrossed in the story as Isabella was pulled away from her soulmate, Angelo in 1589.  In the present, Nick and Julia's story took a little more time to get into as they explored Venice and introduced some of the members of the Order. I loved the vivid descriptions of Venice that were able to transport me to the colorful alleyways and canal system.  I was fascinated by the Order with their combination of religions, belief in the justification of their actions, knowledge of the afterlife, and use of the painting to trap souls.  The danger and suspense grew slowly throughout the story until the very end as Nick and Julia uncovered more secrets.  The ending of the story left many more questions to be answered with the promise of a sequel that I will definitely be reading. 

This book was received for free in return for an honest review. 

Jack Kelly wakes up from a coma believing he is a married man with a wife and kids.  However, when Jack wakes up he is a thirteen year old child with vivid memories through adulthood and the accident that he believed that his brother suffered is now his own.  Along with the brain injury, Jack can now read people's minds, feel their emotions and see the ghosts and demons that linger in the city and pull people into the next world.  With an introduction to others like him, Jack begins to refine his gift and hones into one particular ghost in the apartment building across from his school.  The ghost and Jack have a connection, but the ghost does not want to leave.  A supernatural fight ensues as Jack tries to convince the ghost to move on.  


From the beginning, Jack's story pulled me into this intriguing supernatural thriller.  From the start, the demons and ghosts in the shadows were gripping, creating an intense and foreboding atmosphere.  I was very interested in Jack's family as an adult and how that experience shaped how he came back as a child.  Jack's reintroduction to life and his childhood after his coma were fascinating. Jack's character held the duality of being in a child's body with the memories and emotional control of an adult.  The writing switched between the points of view of Jack and the ghost, Kasper Greenstreet.  I was equally attracted to Kasper's storyline as Jack's.  Being able to read about Kasper's life and death created him as a full person.  I loved reading about his artistic process and the passion he put into his work.  As Jack's interactions with Kasper increase, so does the suspense, culminating in an exciting ending.  With many questions still unanswered, I can't wait to dive into the next book in the series.


This book was received for free in return for an honest review. 

Jane has always been logical and self controlled.  Now, with her guardians moving on Jane makes the logical decision to marry. From a list she compiled, Jane has chosen to ask Dr. Augustine Lawrence to enter into what she considers a business arrangement.  She will keep his books and reside at his surgery while he resides at Lindridge Hall.  Despite their differences, an attraction forms.  Dr. Augustine agrees to the match with the caveat Jane must never enter Lindridge.  However, on the first night of their marriage, a mistake places the pair at Lindridge and Augustine becomes unhinged as the night progresses.  With each night Jane stays at Lindridge she watches Augustine change.  Jane also uncovers a bevy of secrets that open doubts in her union and begins to believe in the secrets of Lindridge herself.   As Augustine succumbs to the terrors surrounding him, he believes Jane is an apparition and he attempts to kill her.  In a desperate attempt for her life, Jane unleashes something she never believed she could do; but the consequences of her actions might be her undoing.  

The Death of Jane Lawrence is a highly atmospheric gothic romance.  From the beginning, I was transported into the alternate history of Great Beltraine where magic is possible.  Jane and Augustine fill the trope of a marriage for convenience.  I loved Jane's character with her persistent logic, pursuit of knowledge and willingness to open herself up to emotions and the supernatural. Augustine is a curious character from the beginning.  I enjoyed the care he took in his surgery, it was obvious that he truly cared for his patients and was skilled at his job; however, it was also clear that he was hiding something big. Jane and Augustine seem to fit together perfectly, even though they shouldn't.  Lindridge Hall is the biggest character, with locked rooms, mysterious shadows and plenty of secrets to uncover, Lindridge is the quintessential gothic setting. With the addition of magic a whole new world of suspense and possibilities opens up to Jane.  I was amazed at how well Jane took to magic her mind opened up to it.  With more magic, Lindridge opens more doors to Jane.  The writing took me on a wild ride and thoroughly explored LIndridge and the effects of magic.  With the creation of a truly unique setting and an even more interesting romance, The Death of Jane Lawrence is the perfect mind-bending gothic horror.


This book was received for free in return for an honest review. 

For centuries, the ghost of Katrina Hamilton has tortured the four families responsible for accusing her of witchcraft and her subsequent hanging.  Now, each year after her death Katrina picks one descendant each from the Bell, Winthrop, Crane and Sewall lineage to toy with.  Katrina delivers a demon infested music box to one member of  each family, that family member then must return to Black River, Tennessee and enter the Witch's Wood, the ancestral home of the Bell family to find the key and lock the demon box.  The chosen are tormented every step of the way once they enter Katrina's woods.  While in the wood they might die, they might find their key and survive another year or they might not find their key and unleash a demon.  This year, Bathsheba Bell is entering the wood for the second time along with first-timer's, Willimina Crane, Cadwyn Winthrop, and Osgood Davis. 

I felt hooked from the beginning when Katrina was delivering the music boxes to each family member, preying on their unique fears and phobias.  Through the box delivery, the personality of each character was also brought out.  Cadwyn is physically tough with a heart of gold.  Mina is hyper focused and a skeptic of the Bell Witch legend. Bathsheba is demanding and intense and cares only about herself and her dog.  Osgood is trying to figure out who to put his trust in for survival.  Once the four chosen members enter the woods, the pace picks up.  I enjoyed seeing of the ways that Katrina came up to terrify the family, where their keys were ultimately hidden and the changing dynamics of the group in the wood.  The Bell farm was particularly grotesque as well as the location of Bathsheba's key. I definitely want to know more about Katrina, it seems that she was an actual Witch and tricked the Bell family even when she was alive and then got angry that they prospered anyway.  I would be interested in hearing more from her side of the story or seeing the four families finally getting revenge for the centuries of torture and deaths. 

This book was received for free in return for an honest review.

​The lives of four families are forever intertwined after the actions of their ancestors.  Now, centuries later, The Bell Witch chooses one family member from the Bell, Winthrop, Crane and Sewall lineages to bring back to Black River Tennessee and taunt each year, possibly to the death.  Now, the four participants who survived the last game want to head back to Black River, Tennessee and take care of the Bell Witch for good.  However, Black River is not prepared for Basheba, Cadwyn, Ozzie and Mina to be back in town together.  It's not just the Bell Witch that they will have to fight this time, but the entire town.  

Sacrificial Grounds is the second book in the Bell Witch series and I would highly recommend reading book one first in order to get to know the characters and what they went through.  Sacrificial Grounds dives right into the action as Basheba and Mina work out their relationship.  I was really glad that this book dove more into the characters, especially Basheba.  More of Basheba's family history is revealed along with the intense training she received from a young age that makes her a brutal warrior against the witch and the events of her past that have created her persona.  More of the history of the Bell Witch herself is also disclosed, along with the Witch's influence on the town of Black River.  This book is more of a fight against the humans who reap the benefits of keeping the Bell Witch happy; however, this does not mean that there is any less gore or supernatural activity.  Basheba shows off exactly how much of a killing machine she really is and while the Witch is not at her strongest, she is still able to send a message to the four descendants of her accusers.  I'm really interested to see what happens now that they have tried to end the curse.

This book was received for free in return for an honest review. 

​Philomena, Osgood, Cadwyn and Basheba are the last four descendants of the Crane, Davis, Winthrop and Bell lines to be selected to go into the Witch's Wood and complete her challenges.  After surviving Katrina's challenges and going back into the Wood to try to stop her one and for all, the four have forged an unbreakable bond.  Now, the four have been training to go into the Witch Caves where they believe Katrina is buried.  They want to find her remains in order to stop the curse again.  However, the town cult finds out what the four are up to and now Mina, her brother Jeremiah,  Ozzie, Cadwyn and Basheba have to deal with a panicked Witch, crazy cult and the dangers of the Cave.

I really enjoyed the first two books of the Bell Witch series and would highly recommend reading those first in order to understand the Witch, her harvest and what builds the unwavering relationship between these four characters.  The Witch Cave amps up the intensity with the group trying to outwit both Katrina and the cult.  All of the characters are still wonderful and continue to grow.  I enjoyed seeing Mina stands up to her family once again and tries to learn everything she can about how to kill a ghost.  Ozzie uses his family's money for good and learns how to deep sea dive as he comes to the realization that he is not the weakest link in the group.  Cadwyn continued to amaze me with his levelheadedness, caring and medical skill.  I appreciated learning more about his time caring foris little brother, Abraham after his trial in the Witch Woods.  This gave a lot of insight into his character as well as showed Katrina's power as she transported Cadwyn back to the abandoned psychiatric hospital in Massachusetts where Abraham spent his last days. Basheba also continued to be a fierce powerhouse along with her dog Buck.  More of her history is revealed along with her families entanglements with the darker side of humanity and a creature called the Leviathan.  The writing continuously builds apprehension as fearsome creatures and obstacles created especially for each character get in their way.  The story ends with an unexpected bang and I can't wait to see what the next book brings. 



This book was received for free in return for an honest review.

​A year after Basheba, Cadwyn, Ozzie and MIna defeat Katrina, the Bell Witch that has been terrifying their family members for generations, there are signs that she might be back. The quartet have been seeing strange things once again and the private investigator that they sent to Black River is missing. When Mina calls the estranged family members back together to discuss what might be happening, they learn that Katrina may have never gone away, just attached to a weaker link.  However, Basheba believes that  this entity might just be pretending to be Katrina and whatever this new thing is, isn't playing by the rules.

Spring Slaughter is the fourth book in the Bell Witch series and I would definitely recommend reading these books in sequential order to get to know the characters, their relationships and the history of the Bell Witch.  As the book opened, I was glad to see Basheba and Cadwyn's relationship enduring even if it is highly unconventional.  Mina and Ozzie have grown a lot since the first book and have proved themselves useful to the group in unexpected ways. The threat for this book isn't as direct as the other books.  It seems as if Katrina is back to her old tricks in a different way,  but the relationship with Claudia is confusing.  The suspense is masterfully built as with the other books in the series with the horror creeping in and then crashing down in gory glory.  I liked that we learned a little bit more about Basheba's Kraken as well as some of the feelings of the family elders. It was interesting to see Basheba and Cadwyn put at a bit of a disadvantage while the others had to come to their aid.  The ending might have taken care of the immediate threat but left everyone with a lot more questions than answers, I can't wait to dive into the next book. 

​Basheba, Cadwyn, Ozzie, MIna and Jeremiah have defeated Katrina, the witch that has been killing off their family members for centuries.  However, they are still being hunted by something.  They believe it might be the demon that Katrina would unleash upon family members if they failed her trials.  The group needs to find a safe place and according to Mina's research, Basheba's ancestral home of the Leviathan might offer enough ghost shielding to keep the demon at bay.  However, the Leviathan and the Kraken that Basheba's family built it around have other plans for the group. 


The Leviathan is the fifth book in The Bell Witch series and definitely needs to be read in order.  The Leviathan jumps right into the action with ghastly hauntings and gory minotaur attacks and doesn't let up as the group faces multiple demons, the wrath of the kraken, Basheba's grandmother's snake, demon dogs and multiple ghosts of the people offered up to the kraken over the years.  The Leviathan shows us a big dose of insight into the mysteries of Basheba's Allaway side of the family and her home.  I enjoyed exploring The Leviathan and it's hidden passageways even if each nook and cranny offered up another horror.  I was amazed at Basheba's secrets and her history with the kraken.  Through their trials at the Leviathan, the group strengthens in their dedication to one another as they have to make difficult decisions about survival.  With some big changes and new knowledge, I can't wait to see what is in store for them in the last book of the series. 

This book was received for free in return for an honest review. 

​Ella, Yuki, and Rory are returning to their elite boarding school, Grimrose Académie; however, this year they will begin the year with a funeral for their friend Ari.  Ari was found drowned in the lake by the school just before the semester began.  The girls don't believe Ari's death was a suicide like the officials say.  Ella, Yuki and Rory don't make any headway in finding a cause for their friend's death until a new girl, Nani arrives.  Nani finds a book of fairy tales  with a list of names that Ari had been taking notes in along with a threatening note.  The girls piece together that the deaths at Grimrose seem to follow the endings of fairy tales.  But, are the deaths at the hand of a human killer or a curse upon the school?


The Grimrose Girls is a young adult murder mystery combined with a little magical realism.  The writing drives directly into the mystery as the girls attend Ari's funeral.  Each of the girl's personalities were well developed and evident from the beginning.  Yuki strives for perfection in everything, Ella has a need to please everyone around her, Rory wants to be herself, despite her parents best efforts to make her someone else and Nani needs to find her place within this strange group of girls and discover why her father sent her to Grimrose.  I loved the incorporation of the fairy tales around each girl's situation.  The suspense built as fairy tail deaths begin to find their matching students.  The line between magic and reality was easily blurred as the girls were pulled into their fairy tales and seemed to play out their tragic stories.  Even more than the mystery, The Grimrose Girls is a story of friendship, coming of age and self-discovery.  Each of the girls takes on figuring out who they are without Ari, the glue of the group.  They also find who they are in relation to their fairy tales and decide if they  want to play into their fate or change it.  With a diversity of characters and a wonderful storyline, I can't wait to read the next book. 

This book was received for free in return for an honest review. 

​After a car accident that left him nearly dead, Lyle Hall, a lawyer in Bridgehampton, NY is confined to a wheelchair and has found that he now cares about people's emotions and may even be able to sense what they are feeling.  As Lyle approaches an abandoned building, one he would usually fight to demolish in court, an apparition of an adolescent girl named Jewel appears to him in the window and shows him a vision of his daughter's death.  With his daughter's death looming, Lyle decides to file a motion to stop the demolition of the building known as the "Old Vic," once thought to be a brothel. However, once the media finds out about Lyle's change of heart and the reasons why, the vultures descend.  Lyle is goaded into a contract with FearCom, putting him on prime time TV for his ghostly vision and bringing protestors to the Old Vic.  When Lyle visits the Old Vic again, he doesn't come in contact with Jewel, but darker forces.  As Lyle's life spirals out of control, the date of his daughter's foreseen death draws closer and he has only succeeded in pushing her farther away.  

Ghost Hampton is a  paranormal mystery that focuses on what happens in the real world when a person claims that they have seen a ghost or have had a brush with the paranormal.  Lyle Hall is the perfect character for this to happen to, a brutal property lawyer who has burned many bridges bringing development to the Hamptons.  Now, in trying to save the Old Vic, he has to work with the organizations he is usually fighting.  His relationship with his daughter, Georgie is also a large part of the story.  Lyle wasn't the best dad, now Georgie helps to take care of him.   Lyle enters the media frenzy in an attempt to save Georgie from the vision of her death, but ends up being swept up and abused by the media.  I did find it a little hard to believe that Lyle  didn't read his contract or couldn't find a way out of it.  The media frenzy around the Old Vic and the believers that flocked there was really interesting.  People are so quick to dismiss paranormal activity, but we all want to be able to see it for ourselves as well.  Ghost Hampton is a longer read with several side stories, so the ghost part sometimes took a back seat.  I really wanted to know more about the history of the Old Vic, Jewel and the many forces that seem to be active there.  This information comes near the end, but I wish it would have been sprinkled more evenly throughout the story. 

​Cory and Greg have been best friends since high school despite being completely different people.  Now, in their fifties, the men's lives have taken very different paths. However, they still meet up for their annual hunting trip in the Canadian Rockies.  While on their trip, Cory and Greg follow a large monarch Elk into the Tochquinlan Range, a sacred but uninhabited area of the First Nations People.  Cory's grandfather told him stories of his ancestors and the Shaman who turned to evil and is believed to now be a Skudakumooch, a ghost which.  After Cory and Greg enter the Tochquinlan range, their luck turns sour.  They are hunted by a grizzly with haunting grey eyes and the Elk leads them into the hoodoos. Cory seems to be obsessed with finding the Elk at all costs.  As the Elk leads the pair into a cave system, they will learn exactly what that cost is. 

Skudakumooch, the ghost witch.  The title alone was enough to pull me in.  I loved that this is based on Native American folklore and it led me to look into more Native stories of the Skudakumooch.  The writing is a slow burn of suspense building as the two men travel into the woods.  As the Skudakumooch appeared in different ways, it wasn't always apparent what the Skudakumooch wanted from them.  The descriptions of the Tochquinlan Range, the hoodoos and the especially creepy cave added to the uneasy feeling of the story.  The men's relationship was another important part of the story that I enjoyed as Greg reminisced about their time growing up together and began to pinpoint the times people said strange things about Cory.  I did want a little more out of their friendship, but the connection was still good.  As the Skudakumooch grows in power and presence the grotesque and horror elements of the story come into full view as chaos erupts.  There was also an underlying theme of environmental preservation; however, I'm not sure that the Skudakumooch is the protector or the destroyer. 

This book was received for free in return for an honest review. 

Raven Birchfield is new to the small town of Half Horse, Illinois.  Raven, her mother and little brother, have inherited her Aunt Bestla's house along with all of it's belongings.  Now Raven is the new kid at school and just wants to fade into the background.  However, Raven attracts the attention of popular and pretty Janelle all too quickly when she is caught staring at Janelle's boyfriend, Dex.  To make matters worse, Raven has dug up a strange box in her backyard, opposite a graveyard.  The box contains a book of children's stories and a necklace.  After Raven finds the box she begins to hear whispers of the name Mary in the wind and becomes very attached to a watering can in her shed.  Eventually the force of Mary takes over and Raven learns what it's like to have her every desire granted. 

Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary is a young adult fantasy that creatively uses nursery rhymes as a vehicle for suspense and a tool to help facilitate change.  The story is fast paced a quick read.  The preface quickly interested me in the story as Raven said that she was the Mary in the nursery rhyme, whether she liked it or not.  Raven's character is a junior in high school and she is facing a lot of the same issues a typical high school does.  However, the story is narrated from her point of view and her voice and inner-monologue seems a little more juvenile than the age she should be.  Although, through becoming Mary, Raven does grow and I hope to see the impacts of this in the next book. I did like the device of the nursery rhyme characters, the book and crystal transporting Raven.  There is some explanation of how it works and why, but I hope there will be even more questions answered in the rest of the series.

This book was received for free in return for an honest review.

​Raven Birchfield is just recovering from her possession by Mary from the nursery rhyme, Mary, Mary Quite Contrary.  After finding an old book of rhymes and a pendant that her Aunt Bestla left behind, Raven has been taken control of by the characters in order to be taught a lesson.  This time, Patience Muffet has gotten a hold of Raven's best friend Candy.  Raven doesn't know that Candy's home life is in turmoil, especially with her stepfather,making her the perfect victim for Patience.  On top of that, Raven unexpectedly starts getting attention from football player, Brett.  Candy happens to have a huge crush on Brett and is hurt by Raven's behavior.
​
Muffet is the second book in the young adult paranormal series, Once Upon a Rhyme.  I highly encourage reading the first book, Mary, Mary to begin with in order to get to know Raven and Candy as well as how the nursery rhyme book works. Muffet picks up shortly after the first book leaves off and focuses on Candy, but is still mainly told from Raven's point of view.  I was surprised that Raven still seemed immature and didn't put the clues together about what was happening with Candy's stepfather a little more quickly.  However, I did like the lesson that Patience Muffet provided to the girls.  I especially liked Patience's look in the other realm.  Although, I'm still wondering about how the nursery rhyme book works and why a graveyard of 16th century English people ended up in Illinois. I hope the Raven keep learning from the lessons and hopefully her little brother will learn something in the next book as well.  

This book was received for free in return for an honest review.

Raven Birchfield's life isn't getting any easier.  After dealing with a possession by Mary of the nursery rhyme Mary, Mary Quite Contrary and helping her best friend Candy through a possession by Little Miss Muffet, it seems that it is her brother Johnny's turn.  After Raven's mom forgets about Johnny's birthday, Raven rushes to find him a present.  After sifting through her Aunt Bestla's things, Raven finds a blue bomber jacket that she knows Johnny will adore.  Raven figures out just a little too late that the jacket is connected to Little Boy Blue and her brother has turned into an overconfident, boastful, thief.  To top it off,  Raven and Johnny's father who left on Johnny's seventh birthday has return inexplicably and their mother accepts him back with no questions.

Blue is the third book in the Once Upon a Rhyme series and should definitely be read after Mary, Mary and Muffet in order to get to know the characters and how the nursery rhyme possessions work. Blue follows the same pattern as the first two books; however, now Raven has a better understanding of how things work and a friend she can trust with the craziness.  Blue's possession was a little different since his evil characteristics weren't shown outright. Raven and Candy liked Johnny a lot better as Blue and so did he, but Blue's possession was the darkest and had the most potential for harm.  I'm still confused about how a bomber jacket is tied to a 16th century historical figure as well as why the graveyard exists.  Although, the intrigue has built up with the return of Raven's father as well as the growing connection that Raven's classmate Dex seems to have with everything.  



This book was received for free in return for an honest review.

Sisters Wren and Sage have always lived in the woods of the small town of Stillwater, NY.  Their mother kept them hidden away and without any influence of outside society.  Mother always told them of the dangers and evils of the world outside of their homestead.  However, Mother left Wren and Sage months ago with their sick little sister Evie in order to get her medical treatment.  Mother has yet to return and supplies are dwindling as winter approaches.  When a man comes to their cabin in search of them, the sisters panic and flee into the woods.  They arrive at Nicolette Gideon's home on the outskirts of Stillwater.  Nicolette offers them help and the girl's sudden appearance creates a stir in the small town as well as opening up some mysteries from the past. 


The Stillwater Girls is a gripping thriller that I binged in one day.  Told through alternating points of view between Wren and Nicolette; I was immediately caught up in Wren's circumstances trying to survive a winter in the New York woods with primitive supplies.  Nicolette's viewpoint took me a little longer to get into, a wealthy woman in her 30's who believes her marriage is struggling due to a emergency hysterectomy 10 years ago.  I did like that I could not figure out the connection between the women until closer to the end of the story.  The pacing of the story was steady as suspense builds with the sisters having to flee and Nicolette not knowing where she stands with her husband.  As their stories intersect, mysteries unravel.  The ending tumbled together quickly and I was thoroughly unprepared for the revelation at the end and the secret that was held on to for so long.  Overall, The Stillwater Girls is a consuming psychological thriller with plenty of twists and turns.


This book was received for free in return for an honest review.

​Ritchie Naughton's life is falling apart.  After returning home on a break from work one afternoon, he discovers his long-time girlfriend in bed with a football player.  The shock triggers a heart condition that Ritchie never knew about.  After all this, Ritchie makes a decision to move back to New Jersey and into his sister's basement. Ritchie finally he  finds a job as a staff photographer at a local paper.  The paper has an older camera for Ritchie to use, and is only inscribed with the name Denlax.  Along with his newspaper gig, Ritchie reluctantly agrees to work for his uncle in order to provide picture proof of his aunt's infidelity.  With this side gig, Ritchie finds that the camera produces disturbing images of other worlds.  Soon, the Denlax drags Ritchie into a dangerous world with extreme consequences.


In the House of Mirrors is a slow-burning horror that sucked me in with great characters and a unique plot.  From the beginning, I never quite knew which way the book would take me and that made me keep reading.  All of the characters, human and otherwise were thoroughly created.  The camera itself was the most intriguing, bringing is elements of horror, supernatural, and the occult.  The mystery of the Denlax kept me guessing as the pictures with imperfections soon showed separate worlds and beings that moved within the picture, sort of like an otherworldly camera obscura.  I loved the history behind the camera and the story that was passed down along with it.  As Ritchie learned about the camera, he began to change, but not as I would have suspected.  The pieces started to fall together as the story wrapped up and the horror, suspense and gruesomeness of the acts that the camera precipitated.   Overall, an intense and different horror read.