They Only Come At Night

I was gifted this book by the author for an honest review. 

For as long Anna Griessmer can remember she has suffered terrible night terrors. Anna is a tough, strong-willed ambitious woman. She is on a elite team in the Army called the Night Stalkers. She is the only woman in her regiment and often has to fly across enemies to retrieve other soldiers. That is until one night, a mission takes a terrible turn. After losing her left leg, she is now retired and back in her childhood home in Crested Butte, Colorado. A sprawling log cabin set on 300 acres. She is now living with her sister, Sara and her niece Izzy. The nightmares are back and this time they are not only affecting her, they are terrorizing her niece as well. 

Within the town, there have been several mysterious deaths. A woman who looked as if a vampire had drained her blood, an inexplicable fire that consumed a house killing both occupants, and a mountain lion attack on a local man. The weird thing is, Anna has had dreams of these very things. An ancient spirit known as a skin walker is stalking Anna and those around her, dead set on reclaiming what was taken from it. Can Anna find the peace within herself and defeat the malevolent spirit before it destroys her and the ones she loves?

Oh man! This story. Taking place in Colorado and intertwining American culture with that of the Native Americans, this story is one of spirituality, shame, fear, love and power. I love the fact that it takes place in real towns. Even more was the Native American aspect of it. I dont know a lot about Native American beliefs but if they are like the ones in this book, I find them to be extremely fascinating. The last few chapters were chocked full of thrilling suspense and the ending! A twist I never saw coming. I thought for sure I knew who the skin walker was, but nope! I was surprised!

I highly recommend this book, especially if you like paranormal thrillers. You can check out his website here David Scott Weed.

The Infant Spirits-Haunting Clarisse Book 4

Clarisse is back at it once again only this time her long time love, Harry is with her. After the events of the last book, Harry has decided to take a more active roll in her paranormal adventures. He buys a bunch of paranormal investigating gear from a couple of guys that helped out in Old Tailem.

This time they are called out to New Norfolk, Tasmania to Willow Court Asylum, a place where people who have mental illnesses were sent, hidden from society and the embarrassments they cause the local families. Clarisse is no stranger to the spirit world. But here she senses an immense evil. One that preys on the souls of babies.

She is determined to release the souls of these children and cleanse the town of this evil entity. However, this time she is faced with a new complication, she is pregnant and the vile entity is targeting her unborn child. The devilish spirit seeks to take her child to complete his plan, can she make it through her toughest battle to date and save not only her child but the fates of the restless infant spirits?

Janice Tremayne has done it again. Setting up an atmosphere of pain, sadness, and suspense but also hope. That good will conquer evil. I really like the character of Clarisse. She is strong and independent, yet caring and true. Harry is a fun skeptic who is starting to see that not all things can be explained by science. I love that she brought in Paranormal Jacks son, I felt that was a nice touch and provided some closure.

All in all, I really liked this book. Once again, it ends on kind of a cliff hanger so I am hopeful that there will be more stories involving Clarisse and Harry and maybe even Paranormal Jack, Jr. The pacing was fast and I could not wait to see what happened to Clarisse this time. I managed to read this in a few hours. I highly recommend these books all though I will admit I like books 2-4 the best. The first book is more of a romance story in my opinion.

Haunting in Old Tailem- Haunting Clarisse Book 3

Another great story from Janice Tremayne!

Clarisse is back, this time in a ghost town called Old Tailem Town. In the beginning of the book the scene is set during the time of the Byzantine Empire. We read about a secret order of monks, The Order of the Sepaline, who are a guard against demons. They guard a very powerful pendant and keep secret the prayers that contain the words of Jesus Christ.

The town has been vacant for a very long time, but some activity has woken up some demons that are dead set on taking over the town. Clarisse enters the church during a paranormal tour ran by a local man called Digger. There she comes face to face with an evil entity with much power. She is also made aware that another spirit has followed her from Hartley, a young boy named Charlie.

There is a local shaman that has had the Order of the Sepaline prayers and stone passed down to him. A kind of gatekeeper for the town, he lives on the outskirts and is known as hermit. Clarisse is taken to see him and he realizes quickly that she has supernatural powers and she might be able to aid him in finally defeating the evil that resides within the town.

The imagery that Janice is able to convey is fantastic and scary at the same time. Within the story are some children that were taken by the entity and their souls were held hostage. As a mother, the thought of anything like this happening to one of my kids was heart wrenching. I love the good vs evil theme throughout the story. I am also discovering new superstitions from an area of the world I know little about and I'm really enjoying it.

I highly recommend this series and I am very much looking forward to the next book! A great spooky read for the upcoming spooky season. I received this book free from Booksirens for an honest review.

Something's Guava Give

This is the second book by this author that I have read. I really enjoyed the first book in this series, It Takes Two to Mango. For me, these short, cozy mystery books are just about perfect. 

Plum Lockheart is back and at it again, This time she's a full time resident of Paraiso and is spending all of her time and energy in building her new business. Gerald, her longtime sort of friend, calls her from New York asking if she might check in on his boss' daughter, Arielle.. Plum is none too happy but feels obligated since Gerald insists he put her on the map when it comes to the article he wrote about her real estate company, Arielle is at Las Fruitas Resort and is being held by Juan Kevin,resort head of security, for stealing some items from other patrons, turns out she's a kleptomaniac. She is forced to leave the resort and ends up going to a local billionaires estate to stay. Unfortunately, Arielle is found dead, murdered, just 24 hours later. Why was she murdered and will she be the only one?

Plum, Gerald and Juan Kevin set out to discover the many secrets surrounding this billionaire, Dieter Friedrich. There is a lot of crazy stuff going on on his estate, including rumors of an on going war with his neighbor. This story has it all, D-list celebrities, more than a few salacious old men, crazy amounts of exotic animals, secrets, and of course murders. I love the characters. Plum can be stubborn and at times a tad haughty but all in all I think she's a great character and I cannot wait to see what other adventures she gets herself into. I'm really holding out hope for her and Juan Kevin. Another great story from this author! I received this book for free from Netgalley for an honest review. Available January 25, 2022!

Death by Beach Read-Lighthouse Library Mystery #9

This is book nine in the Lighthouse Library Mystery series. I normally would have read the first 8 before starting this one but decided to go ahead and read it anyway. I'm glad I did, despite not knowing any back story, I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

Lucy works as a librarian at the Bodie Lighthouse Library. She is engaged to the local mayor, Connor McNeil. They have recently bought a historic house in the Outer Banks of North Carolina. The house has stood empty for years and is in dire need of updating and renovations. They waste no time in getting started with the help of Connors father, Fred. Connor has to be out of town a few nights for work and Lucy starts hearing strange noises around her new home. Chalking it up to settling she refuses to believe the rumors of it being haunted. Lucy and Connor go out on evening only to return to a dead body in their kitchen, strangled to death with their cats leash. It doesn't take long to figure out the man is connected to the house and the secrets that are interred there. 

I really enjoyed this book. Another short, cozy mystery in a series that I really must pick up now. I love how the author is able to set up such a rich setting. Her notes state that the places she mentions are real, although the lighthouse isn't quite big enough to hold a library, but I love the idea that one could. If this book is any indication of how the other books are, I'm excited to see what other mysteries Lucy has been involved in. I happily give this book 5 stars.

Buried-Twisted Cedar Mysteries

I have had this book sitting on my shelf for awhile. The story was really intriguing and I don't know what took me so long to get to it. 

Dougal Lachlan is a true crime writer from the small Oregon town of Twisted Cedars and is now living in New York. As soon as he turned 18 he fled from the town to escape his trailer park life. He hasn't returned to his hometown in many years, not even to attend his mother funeral. While checking his email one morning, he is surprised to see a cryptic email from an anonymous source informing him of a series of murders. Four librarians were strangled in the 1970's. No one connected their deaths and they went unsolved. At almost the same time, he receives a wedding invitation from his sister. 

Curious about the cases involving the murdered librarians, not to mention his sisters wedding, he decides to take the drive across the USA back his hometown. While in Twisted Cedars he stumbles upon another deep secret, one involving his own father and strikes up a relationship with the local librarian, one that he never sees coming. 

All the characters are fleshed out well. With complex histories and the potential for more ahead, I happily give this five stars. There are two more books in this series and I cannot wait to read them. I highly recommend you check out this book.

A Killer Cupcake: A Beachfront Bakery Cozy Mystery-Book 1

I have come to discover that I have a soft spot for the cozy mystery genre. They are short little stories that usually take place in a small, quaint town. 

Allison Sweet is a working at a fancy restaurant making crème brulées, working for a demanding boss when she has a sort of breakdown and is fired from her job. She returns home to her boyfriend who informs her he's breaking up with her and moving to another state. Allison meets up with her brother in the seaside town of Willow Bay, a cute town with an amazing boardwalk full of little shops and restaurants. Amongst them is an empty store front and on a whim she decides to follow her dream and open up her own bakery. 

Unfortunately, things don't start off well and Allison is starting to realize that maybe she's made a mistake. Incident after incident had her rethinking her decision to uproot her life and move to another city. All of this and then she is accosted by a local man, Preston Lockley, who tells her that she stole the shop from him and he would have his vengeance. The next morning, Preston is found washed up on the beach, murdered. The police suspect Allison as she is seen on the pier around the time that he went missing. Now she is set on not only clearing her name but also in trying to find out just who had it out for Preston. 

I really enjoyed this book. It was a very quick read. I love the small town, amateur detective stories. They remind me a lot of the stories from Midsomer Murders. I felt the characters were well thought out and left a lot to be discovered as the series goes on. I would definitely recommend this series and will be looking forward to reading more from this author.

Haunting in Hartley: Haunting Clarisse-Book 2

This is the second book in the Haunting Clarisse series. The first book was so different from this one. This book was interesting and had more of a ghost story aspect to it than the first book. I received this book free from Booksirens for an honest review.

In this story Clarisse and her boyfriend Harry (from the first book) are visiting Hartley because Harry is working on a project nearby. The town of Hartley is now nothing more than a ghost town used by a paranormal tour guide and a place for over the top weddings.  But once it was a bustling town with a presbytery, a church and a cemetery. The presbytery also served as an orphanage at one point housing fifty boys who had been abandoned by their families. 

Without going into too much that might spoil the story, you've got an evil entity, ghosts, abuse of power, and a girl who thinks she can outsmart the devil himself. All in all it was a great story. Clarisse has a special gift for the paranormal and Harry was the perfect skeptic. I love the setting and the story is creepy and suspenseful, and they make for a great combination. The pacing is quick and made for a one day read. I really wanted to find out what was going to happen next.

If you like paranormal stories full of ghosts, demons and the atrocities committed by the Catholic Church then this book is for you. I would absolutely recommend this book and am already looking forward to the next one.

The Girl in the Scarlet Chair: Haunting Clarisse #1

I decided to pick this up because I signed up to read the 4th book in this series and figured it might be better if I started from the beginning. 

This book was not at all what I was expecting. The title makes it out to be a ghost type story but that's not what I got from it. Its more of a romance novel. 

Clarisse is a young girl from the Philippines who has recently gone through a terrible breakup with her fiancé. Harry is a slightly older guy from Australia who has recently gone through a nasty divorce. They are introduced through friends and they start talking through skype. After about three months he comes to visit and they hit it off. Thrown into this romance is the story of a scarlet chair that has an evil spirit attached to it and the superstitions surrounding it. It seemed kind of like a side story to the romance between Clarisse and Harry. 

All in all the story was alright. Its not something I typically read and as I stated above, I got it so I could read the other three books after it. Hoping they are less romance, more hauntings, lol.

Tranquil Heights

I really enjoyed this story. I love the mystery aspect of it and ended up reading it in one day because I just had to find out if the curse would be lifted.

The story centers on a family that is cursed. The firstborn daughters of each generation will die on their 25th birthdays. Katie Edgecomb and her twin sister Liz, were told this story their whole lives yet they believed it to just be a way to keep them in line. That is until Liz dies two minutes to midnight on the night of their birthday. Katie has discovered she's pregnant and with fears she's carrying a girl, she sets out to discover if she can lift the curse.

Tranquil Heights started out as a sanitarium first opening in 1910 to house wealthy tuberculosis patients. In 1932, it was converted to a hospital for wayward girls and women. A place to house the dirty little secrets of elite families. Afterward in 1953, the hospital once again transformed into a full-fledged mental hospital but now accepted men and was private pay for the wealthy until its closure in 1979. The hospital stood empty for 23 years, attracting vagrants, wildlife and teenagers while it decayed until in 2003 when it was bought for a song and renovated back to its former glory and turned into a preparatory academy for girls.

Katies great-great-grandmother worked there from 1934 until she retired in 1967. During this time there was an incident with a patient that she believed is where the curse stemmed from but she refused to divulge what the incident was and who had been involved. While searching for answers, Katie decides its time to visit Tranquil Heights and solve this mystery once and for all. While there she meets Darla, the school museum coordinator and is shown a journal her grandmother kept during her time there. Its within this journal that the mystery starts to unravel. 

Katies great-great-grandmother, Wilhelmina Darrington, worked as a private nurse at Tranquil Heights at night on the swing shift and cared for the "wayward" girls that had been used and abused by society's elite. It was a better paying job than that of a regular hospital and in the 1930's, that was something, to have a job at all, was huge. The journal spans a period between 1934-1935. It is during this time period that the "curse" is laid upon her. Unfortunately, several pages of the journal are missing. 

Ill stop here as to not give too much away for the rest of the story. Suffice to say, Katie discovers a long ago secret, a heart wrenching story of love and loss and an event so appalling, it threatens everything Katie believes to be real. However, she has no choice, she will not risk her unborn child succumbing to the curse. 

All in all. the premise of the story is fantastic. The setting for the bulk of the story is perfect. A school, once a place of sorrow and sadness, now haunted by its former residents. I loved the journal entries and the back and forth between then and now. As a mother I felt the story. I myself have a daughter and cannot imagine a curse that might take her from me. By the end of the book, I had tears in my eyes.  It would be the perfect read for the upcoming spooky season. I highly recommend this book and I look forward to more from this author.

The Body by Stephen King

"I never had any friends later on like the ones I had when I was twelve. Jesus, did you?"

I have been a Stephen King fan for a very long time, but had not read this one. I remember seeing Stand by Me when I was around 12-13(I think), the same age as the kids in the story. I instantly loved the story.  I (was) also a huge Wil Wheaton fan, as I was also a Star Trek fan, lol.

The story takes place in the small fictional town of Castle Rock, Maine, in 1960 and focuses on 4 friends. Gordie Lachance, who parents ignore him after the death of his older brother. Teddy Duchamp, who was physically mutilated by his father, yet he still idolizes his for storming the beaches of Normandy. Chris Chambers, who is severely abused by his father and brother and is neglected by his mother. And last but not least, Vern Tessio, a sort of childish, simpleton who is deathly afraid of his older brother. 

Its early September 1960, a few days before Labor Day when Vern is hunting for a jar of pennies he buried under his front porch when he overhears his brother talking with a friend about how they saw a body of a young 13 yr old that had gone missing a few days before. They mention he's out on Back Harlow Road. Vern runs off to their treehouse to see if the other boys want to take an overnight camping trip to see the body of the boy, Ray Brower.

They all tell their parents they'll be camping in Verns backyard. They set off on a an adventure that will test them, emotionally and physically. The trip will take them from the protection of childhood and lead them into a world where things will change for each other them, drastically. Throughout the trip we see the relationships between the boys change. Chris and Gordie grow closer and in a way so do Vern and Teddy. In the end, as with most friendships, they eventually split up. 

I remember being this age, it doesn't seem that long ago, yet it was. I had a great group of friends around this age. Then I moved to another state and my life changed. I lost those friends for a time, a time before social media, when we reconnected, so much had changed about each of us, the closeness was gone. We are nothing more than acquaintances now. But I look upon those times with fondness. 

Much like the movie, the narration is what makes this book really good. This is definitely not your typical King story. Its not really a horror story, its not scary unless you count seeing a dead body, its more of a coming of age story. The monsters in this case are not hiding under your bed or in your closet, instead they are your parents, your brother or the local corner store owner.

I highly recommend this read. It was a quick one, I read it in a few hours. The movie is also worth watching. 

Bells, Tails & Murder: A Dickens and Christie Mystery- Book 1

If I've said it once, I've said it 100 times, I love a good, solid, cozy mystery and this one did not disappoint. I received this book free from FreeBooksy.

Leta Parkers life was turned upside down when her husband was tragically killed in a biking accident near their home in Atlanta. Two years have passed and she has retired to the Cotswolds in England. She moves in to a converted old school house in Astonbury and sets out to rebuild her life. Along with her dog, Dickens and her cat, Christie, she is finding life in Astonbury perfect. That is until she stumbles upon the body of a local woman named Alice. Alice cleans and cooks for several members of the tight community and everyone is shocked by her death, even more so, when it is determined that she has in fact been murdered. Why would someone murder such a helpful and kind person?

Leta has a special gift, she can talk with and understand animals. I really liked this aspect of the story and I thought it was really cute. I also loved the premise, I consider myself quite the anglophile and in another life probably could have lived in England and loved every minute of it. The book mentions all my favorites, Dickens, Christie, Poirot, Holmes and even Midsomer Murders. I really felt all the characters were fleshed out well and the story kept me on the edge of my seat. I couldn't wait to find out who the murderer was and was surprised once again that it was not who I suspected. I highly recommend this book and cannot wait to read more stories involving Dickens and Christie. 

Arson at the Art Gallery

I love a good quick, cozy mystery read.  This one was perfect. Read in one afternoon. I received this book free from FreeBooksy. 

Addison Lake is a widowed mom who decides to move to the small town of Getaway Bay in Queensland, Australia after the death of her husband. She buys an old Victorian home with intentions of renovating it in to a bed and breakfast. Her daughter, Olivia is set to go to university and Addison is craving company. Her cousin Layla lives in Getaway Bay, as does her sister Jenna. She owns a local art gallery and in her free time she takes care of her father who has Alzheimer's. While out one evening with Addison, her art gallery burns to the ground with her sister inside. The police immediately suspect her however Addison knows she is innocent. Can Addison figure out who murdered Jenna and burned down the art gallery before her cousin is arrested for it?

This is the first story in a series by Grace York. I really liked it. The characters are well thought out, the setting is perfect and the pacing of the story is on point. A twist ending makes this a really great read. Highly recommend and looking forward to continuing the series.

A Most Malicious Murder

What is Edgar Allan Poe had not died mysteriously, but overcome his demons and married his childhood sweetheart? As a life long Poe fan, when I read the description for this one, I knew I had to read it.

I am intrigued by alternate history timeline stories and this one was fantastic. In this story, Edgar Allan Poe did not die in 1849 of mysterious circumstances. Instead, he married Elmira and set out on a book tour through England, performing readings of his most famous work. One night he has too much to drink and the next morning after a chambermaid is found dead, he is a suspect. Drawing on his own character creation, Inspector Dupin, can he unravel the clues in time to save not only his reputation but the life of an innocent man?

The story is unique, ingenious and well written. With charming characters, a wonderful setting and an ending that is worthy of Dupin himself, this story is sure to hold your attention and keep you guessing until the very end. I felt the pacing was nice and I loved the back and forth between what Poe was experiencing and what the killer was experiencing. I look forward to more from this author.

Murder By Numbers (The Lemon Tree Bay Mysteries Book 1)

I received this book for free from Booksirens for an honest review.

I really liked this cute novel. Its a cozy mystery with a little romance thrown in. This is the first in a series called The Lemon Tree Bay Mysteries. The characters are endearing and fun and I am very much looking forward to more in this series.

The story is set in a little sea side town off the coast of Australia. A touristy little town where lots of eccentric people live.  Complete with off the wall town activities like Human Chess and Clam Chowder Night. When a seemingly dull, quiet accountant is found murdered some of the towns secrets come to the surface.

Clara Mitchell is a hairdresser in Lemon Tree Bay. One morning, Lucas Pepper wanders into her salon to have a trim, he leaves his phone and when Clara attempts to return it, she discovers Lucas standing over his uncles dead body. Lucas is immediately a suspect in his uncles death, especially with him being an outsider. Clara is convinced he is innocent and sets out to prove it. 

Clara's mother is the local tarot reader and Clara herself has a gift herself, that I wont spoil. The characters all interact quite well together. Clara herself is not a journalist or even an amateur detective but her interactions with the crime were organic and believable. I really liked everything about this book. The setting is fun and the location descriptions were on point. The characters themselves are fleshed out well and the pacing of the story is quick. I am definitely looking forward to more from this author. 

Cujo

As with other Stephen King books, I'm not sure what else I can say about this one that hasn't already been said.

The book is seemingly a sequel to The Dead Zone with mentions of Frank Dodd and John Smith. I muddled through this book the best I could, but as big a King fan that I am, I just couldn't get into this one. First off, a lot of it felt like filler, like it could have been a short story and not a novel. Second, I have a soft spot for animals and reading about a dog with rabies that I know will die is not something I really enjoy. However the core story is scary and gut wrenching which is why I gave it 4 stars.

I don't really have much else to say about it. I only read it as part of a Castle Rock anniversary read a long. Otherwise it is not one of his books that I would have chosen on my own. I have seen the movie and I remember thinking that that was enough. As a mother and a dog lover, this was a hard one. Give me serial killers and murder any day, lol.

The Death Mask Murders

This story takes place in Melbourne, Australia during the tail end of WWI. I love the early 1900s so I'm often drawn to stories that take place in that era.

Emma Hart is a young girl who has suffered great loss when her fiancé is killed in Somme, France during WWI. She has been sent to live with her Aunt Florence, a wealthy widow with no children of her own, that lives in Brighton. Emma can often be found sitting on the beach, sketching the scenery, it is on one such occasion that she is caught in a violent storm and is subsequently rescued by a stranger, Max. Max takes Emma to an abandoned mansion where they end up having to take shelter in the cellar. Once down there, they discover the death masks of three young women. Emma is fascinated with these, who are they? And where did they come from? Even more disturbing is who created them and why?

Soon, Emma, Max and Aunt Florence are embroiled in the events that unfold surrounding the discovery of the death masks and who they belong too. They have a local hot shot reporter to thank for it, Reggie Da Costa. All four team up with a doctor, Silas Bacon who discovers that his past is about to collide with his present. Sadly, Max is arrested and thrown in jail in connection with the death masks. Can they figure out who the perpetrator really is and in time to save Max and clear his name?

This story was fantastic. It was a quick read with great pacing and I loved the in depth backgrounds that each character has. There is also an underlying theme of how largely mistreated mental illness was back then. Specifically in regards to PTSD, which Max suffers from. It was considered embarrassing and he was labeled unstable and at times, dangerous. There is also mention of largely outdated and harmful treatments like lobotomies and cold baths and even shock therapy. One question asked "can someone be born evil?" As a lover of true crime and stories like those, this is something I have often pondered and honestly I have no answer. 

This appears to be this authors debut novel and I have to say that I am most definitely excited to see more from her. This is an impressive story and a great read! 

Making A Killing

I was honored to be chosen to read this book in advance and I really loved it.

Natalia is a young woman who has been hidden away and abused by her mother for years. Her mother has told her her whole life that she is ugly, disfigured and not normal. After her cruel mother passes she decided to seek out her half-brother, Daniel, and try to be begin her life as a "normal" person. The thing is, she's not really normal. In fact, she's a psychopath. Her brother is not like her. He had a normal upbringing and would not understand her inclination towards killing. Daniel takes her in and after he is rejected by his business idol, Stuart, Natalia takes his future into her own hands. She strikes a deal with the prominent business man where in Daniel will get the job he wants and she will use her skills as an assassin to take out the people draining the business finances. Before too long, Daniel starts to suspect something is awry with his sister. Stuart and Natalia start to believe their sinister deceptions will soon be found out by Daniel.

I wont share much more as I don't want to spoil it. This book was fantastic. The writing is superb. The characters are intriguing and well written. The pacing is perfect, I was able to read this in one day. I ended up liking Natalia even though she's not really a very moral person. The ending had a huge twist that I did not see coming. I highly recommend this book and I am excited to see more from this author.