​Ellen, Sue and Tanya are all empty-nester's looking for a project to keep them busy.  Ellen comes across a beautiful 1860's Greek revival with lots of potential in San Antonio. All three friends like the house, but they find out several other sales have fallen through due to the house being haunted.  A haunting just gets the ladies more interested in the house and the hold a seance.  Immediately, they receive confirmation of the ghost.  Neighbors confirm what they experience.  As they explore the house more, the Greek revival's attic opens up more mysteries to the history of the house with medical equipment and pictures of women who were patients.  Ellen, the most skeptical of the groups digs into the identity of the ghost, her family and if she is a ghost at all.

The Mystery House is a fast paced mystery with many little twists and turns as well as elements of paranormal and psychological horror.  I had a hard time feeling like I got to know the three women as characters, however, I was very drawn in to the mysteries of the house and the ghost.  From the beginning I thought that the ghost was very unique, not very scary, but with definite purpose and not hesitant to show herself.  This is all part of one of the many little mysteries that are unraveled.  More than the ghost, I was interested in the many woman who had lived in the house when it was a rest home.  The plot delves into the backstory of a few of the women who were related with letters and diary entries, but I think a lot more could have been developed in the women's past in order to intensify the horrors of the house.  Overall, a quick, multifaceted mystery perfect for Halloween season.

​Highshcooler, Stella Blunt has just received the worst news of her life- her mother has gotten a new job and they will be moving from Nova Scotia to Vancouver.   Stella is on the heavier side, tends to say what she thinks and knows kung-fu, making friends is not her forte. Stella puts on her big girl panties, as her dad says and makes the best of her first day at her new school.  Stella hears a wide variety of fat jokes, and her chemistry lab partner, Howard apparently can't do much except ogle and drool directly at Stella.  Stella is having a hard enough time without the one person at school who might have a lower social status then herself crushing hard on her; but the next day Howard is completely different- polite, charming and interesting.  Howard can't help but be around Stella and a relationship forms, but Stella knows that Howard and his family are different.  As soon as Howard spills the beans about essentially being a zombie, an outbreak happens.  They all seem to want Stella's brain in particular and the Feds are blaming Howard's family for the whole thing.


Chemistry is a play on the Twilight series that fixes many of the criticisms that Twilight garnered.  Stella herself is outspoken, not afraid to ask questions, tough and not your typical body type.  Stella's parents are also very present, supportive and hilarious.  They are involved in her life and have plenty of awkward conversations, just like real highschool kids have to go though.  One of my favorite lines was " ...while I completely acknowledge and recognize that you are not responsible for men's reactions to you, teenage boy's brains do tend to shut down when they see a pretty girl. "It's all about the boobs," said my father."  Howard also isn't your typical pretty boy and because of his condition, he is seen as an outcast.  However, because of his elongated time as a teenage boy, he has a gentle nature and a lot of insight.  I did like how the Z03818 virus was explained and how Howie and his family were still more on the living side of the virus than the dead.  The romance in the story did move pretty quickly with love found within a matter of days.  Although, the action, mystery and suspense of the zombie outbreak was on point and was a great blend of conspiracy, danger and chainsaw actions.  Overall, a perfect read for paranormal romance lovers!

Something is wrong in the town of Bailey, something lurks in the river that seems to take its toll on the town in  a longstanding pattern.  After Josh loses his older brother, Callum to the river, he finds Kate and Gabe.  Kate and Gabe have also lost their fathers to the water.  Since each of the deaths, the teens have seen strange things surface in the water, images of their loved ones, hallucinations and dreams that seem more like memories.  With the help of the town historian, they try to solve and stop the plague that haunts Bailey. 

Dark Wood Dark Water presented and intriguing mystery and a multi-layered horror story.  It did take me a while to get into and to sort out all of the characters.  There were quite a few characters introduced at the beginning and the chapters switched between their points of view.  This made it difficult for me to place how everyone fit together.  Once the three main characters were together,this was a bit easier.  I enjoyed the connection to the past and the uniqueness of the curse, however I was left confused with some of the characters that played a part in the curse. I am still unsure as to what role Alma and Richard played and I'm not sure they were even necessary to the plot.   Josh, Gabe and Kate were well thought out and were characters that I cared about.  I would have loved a little more information as to how the curse began in the past, it seemed like the originator of the curse was dabbling in some dark arts that may have been rooted in Bailey even before the curse began.  The horror elements kept me reading as they ranged from haunting to gruesome to psychological.  Overall, a unique young adult horror that could use a bit more polishing up.

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

Sylvie Mason has always been the good daughter compared to her sister, Rose. Sylvie and Rose's parents have given the girls an interesting life- to say the least. Their parents made a living by helping people who are haunted, they often took objects or even people into their home. Sylvie and Rose's life changes drastically after Penny, a doll and Abigail, a troubled girl come into their lives. After their parents take these cases, their parents are killed. Rose is left as Sylvie's guardian and 14 year-old Sylvie is the only witness to her parent's deaths. As Sylvie tries to recollect what happened that night, she recounts her strange life in order to figure out who or what actually killed her parents.

Help For The Haunted is a creepy murder-mystery that seems to be inspired by the life of the Warrens. The narration skips back and forth between time from Sylvie's childhood and the events leading up to her parents deaths and after Sylvie's parents have died, the result of this is slightly disorienting, but brings us into Sylvie's mindset. As the story unfolds, the battle of the natural versus the supernatural begin to unfold as Sylvie tries to determine what really caused all of the strange events in their lives and who really killed her parents. I was very intrigued by Penny and Abigail and why they were believed to be haunted as well as their real sources of power of people. Rose's character was an enigma, as well as an important part of the story; it seemed that no one understood her, including her parents that were supposed to be able to help children who were struggling. The ending wrapped up rather quickly as Sylvie exposed the truth of her family .Overall, a suspenseful crime thriller with plenty of supernatural elements that will keep you guessing.

​Griffin Rinaldin is a thirteen year old boy that is dealing with a lot of crap. His abusive father recently died and now Griffin has been diagnosed with Depersonalization disorder, where Griffin feels like he is outside of his body and looking at himself from someone else's point of view.  Griffin's sources of comfort in his life are his cousin Tanner, whose father is also abusive as well as his Grandfather Soren.  Soren tells Griffin stories of a mysterious young man with red hair taking revenge on abusers.  The stories are meant to help Griffin with coping strategies, but the red haired boy begins to take form in Griffin's life and Griffin is seeing him more and more often along with his out of body experiences.  


The Disembodied is a gripping psychological horror story that slowly pulls you in by weaving together different elements from both the natural and supernatural world.  A unique narrator and well developed characters fascinated me and made the book difficult to put down. All of the characters felt very real; they made mistakes, they felt real emotions and tried their best to get through everything.  Perhaps the most terrifying thing about the book is that most of the horror elements are firmly rooted in the natural world: abuse, mental illness, and addiction are all prevalent throughout the story.  My favorite parts however are the stories that Soren tells of the red-haired boy throughout history; these are great ghost stories that would stand on their own.  Overall, a thrilling and powerful story of love that masterfully combines elements from the horror world.

​Dr. Anton Kronberg is England's leading bacteriologist.  Dr. Kronberg is called in to investigate a case of a cholera victim floating in the city's water supply.  While the fact that the victim died of cholera is pretty clear cut, the way the disease was received and how the body  found its way into the water supply opens up to many more mysteries.  When Sherlock Holmes is also brought into the case, Dr. Kronberg has even more to fear as Holmes quickly discovers Dr. Kronberg's secret that Anton is really Anna Kronberg.  Holmes and Anna find a tenuous relationship as the case brings them into dangerous scenarios with devious men and treacherous plots.


The Devil's Grin is an engaging Victorian Era mystery.  Dr. Kronberg is a very interesting character.  Her choice to live as a man in order to practice medicine is honorable, yet has many difficulties and bears the consequence of death if found out.  Since she could legally practice medicine as a woman in other countries, this seems like a strange and dangerous predicament to place herself into.  Other than that, I really enjoyed the sharp and witty writing, the mystery and the passion behind Anna's character.  The mystery was a slow burn and grew on me with a series of well crafted layers that started with what seemed like a simple case but quickly grew into a large conspiracy that took Anna under cover.   Another interesting aspect of the story was Sherlock's character, a tortured soul and amazing detective, yet very different from the classic Holmes character.  Overall, an engaging historical thriller in Victorian London. 

Allison is the new girl in St. Augustine, she misses her friends in Virginia and hasn't had much luck in her new home except for swooning at the boy across the hall, Rodham.  Allison's luck soon changes as noisy and strange neighbors move into the apartment complex; they party all night, aren't seen during the day and their arrival has sparked strange visions and a green glow that Rodham can't seem to resist.  Rodham teams up with Allison to figure out just what these neighbors are up to.  Together, Allison and Rodham open up a dangerous world that they have been fated to.  As Slayers, they are two parts of a team that was created to destroy the Bloodseekers in a deadly game that has gone on for centuries.


A well-crafted, intense paranormal romance with vampires that packs a lot into a short book.  Allison was a very easy character to relate to and I enjoyed her coming into her own as she became confident in her relationship with Rodham and discovered her gifts as the Garnet Slayer.  I enjoyed learning all of the elaborate details and history  of the Witches of darkness and light, Bloodseekers and Slayers.  I appreciated the creation story as it gave a purpose to all of the different beings.  The constant action and discovery of new magic and beings kept the story quick-paced.  With a shorter story, there were a lot of lucky coincidences that brought people together rather quickly; however I was still easily wrapped into the story and can't wait to meet more Slayers. 


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

Sixteen year old Mandy arrives home to find her mother on the brink of death-injured by something or someone very dangerous.  Before Mandy's mother passes, she imparts some important but mysterious information to her.  Mandy is then whisked off into a new and dangerous world by her upstairs neighbor, Joel.  Very quickly, Mandy learns that her life is not what is seems.  Mandy is a twin daughter of a dark witch and light witch as well as the next amethyst Slayer.  The woman she thought was her mother, as well as Joel are really Werewolves who have been protecting her.  Now, it is time that Mandy learn to harness her powers.  The rest of the Slayers need Mandy in order to help rescue her twin, Veronica.

The Monster Upstairs picks up right where The Vampires Next Door leaves off and bounces between Mandy and Joel's story and Allison, Rodham, Lacy and Veronica's story.  In The Monster Upstairs we get to meet even more supernatural creatures:  werewolves, shifters and boggarts.  Mandy's journey is a supernatural adventure that is action-packed from the start.  I enjoyed learning about the light and dark witches, the werewolf pack and how they fit into everything.  With Mandy's gifts, the Slayers are growing in strength, but not complete yet.  It seems that Veronica has some tricks up her sleeve to help the others get to her and when Allison's friend Vicky visits, they might find another piece of their Slayer puzzle.

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

​Everything That's Underneath is a short story collection that explores the ignored, dark spaces, and things we try to not see or remember.  With this unifying theme, the stories ranged from horror, to grotesque to strangely unsettling.  With all short story collections, there were some stories that I loved and some I could live without.  With this collection, there were also some stories that were very similar, like the same darkness was affecting different people .  

Some of my favorite stories included The Dream Eater and Split Tongues.  These stories were a little longer and really allowed me to get into them and wonder about the darkness and what it's intentions really are.  In these stories I was also able to relate to the characters better and feel their interactions with the forces at play.  Overall, an intriguing group of stories that explores themes of family, grief, sexuality and the draw of the unknown.

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

High school is a place where many kids feel like they just don't fit in.  That is definitely true for Brian and his friends, a collection of misfits who decided to skip a few classes they day of the school pep rally.  They get back to school just in time for stagecraft class, and for a deadly virus to take hold of their school.  A strange sickness has rapidly spread, something that gives people a drawn, wasted look and develops crusty scales, oh- and it gives the infected person a taste for human bone.  Ground zero is the pep rally, but the theatre building is farther away and able to be protected.  It's too bad that Brian's sister and ex-girlfriend decided to go to the pep-rally, now Brian has to find a way to get the girls out of the zombie infested hallways as well as the stagecraft class. 

This is a very fast-paced young adult zombie outbreak story that does not skip on the gore and held me in suspense.  Centered in a high school with high schoolers as the only uninfected people left, I was really interested to see how high school dynamics would go into play.  Especially since this high school was overcrowded, had a lot of racial tension and general intolerance of anyone who is different.  Luckily, this group of survivors is centered in the theatre, where different is the norm.  When any differences are brought up, they manage to be quickly resolved or changed in the minds of the teenagers for the benefit of survival.  I was really interested in the virus itself and I got a little bit of information on it through Brian's mom, who was on the first response team.  I did want to find out if there was a cure and how it began.  The book really just focused on the outbreak itself and how this small group of highschoolers was able to survive.  There were some very awesome moments of zombie smackdowns and creative weaponry, but there was no resolve after the teens were rescued from the school.

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

Aiden LeDoux would just like to be a normal kid, someone who flies under the radar.  However, that is unlikely after his father is literally crucified by the son of a man who he has wronged.  One night while at his father's bar, Aiden feels overwhelmed and uncomfortable.  In his anxiety a bright light bursts from his face, illuminating the entire bar.  To add to that, anyone who was bathed in the light is now healed of any physical malady, from a scratch or scar to cancer.  Of course the miraculous event spreads like wildfire, and the small town becomes ignited by zealotry by Aiden's miracle.  Aiden is now being held hostage by those who will do anything to have him perform the miracle again.  

This book threw me for a loop; simultaneously diving right into the action and setting the scene, I was thrown into a small town bar that Aiden's father, Jack owns.  Immediately, I had a feel for many of the characters and the varied dynamics between them.  Then, everything changes.  I was amazed at how quickly the town turned.  However, some people remained the same.  Aiden really becomes a side character and the focus turns on how the town reacts to him.  The horror was not in Aiden's incident, but the quick turnaround to chaos, panic and illogical thinking that takes over an overwhelming amount of people. Pine, the brother responsible for Jack's injury was easily the most terrifying character and could probably have an entire book written about his antics.  There were a few plot holes for me, especially the absence of any law enforcement until the end. Overall, a well crafted book that looks into the dynamics of small town incidents with well placed elements of horror and psychological thriller. 

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