A Shdow On The Wall |
Dark Pages Bookshop Reviews in association with |
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This books bites, don't waste your time or your paso's.Text This book is alright, read it if you like the author or can't find anything else to float your boat. |
This book is a good read and worth checking out if you're so inclined. This book is a find, the author gets kudos, just read it and be happy. |
Widow's Walk Steve Beai |
Widow's Walk is not another creepy crawly critter book. Park Woods, a suburban neighborhood near Kansas City sets the scene for Beai's latest. Sheriff Bob Baxter has personal problems from his recent separation with his wife, to his drinking problem. He's haunted by the only murder case he's ever worked on where he was unable to save his one time partner Jack Reid or apprehend the truly detestable, murderous Alvy Morehouse. He is totally unprepared for what is about to happen to his town. A murdered child is found in the woods, killed by a Black Widow spider. A spider the size of a German Shepard. Spider's nest and so do these! With the help of Bryce Willard (the county coroner), a spectral visit from Jack Reid, and his deputy they seek to stop the spiders from spreading out. Twists and turns run rampant with the spiders being the least of Baxter's problems. The characters are quirky, the dialogue often tongue in cheek, and the plot is fast moving. Beai's strong point is his ability to roll off an action sequence. He's wonderful here, as scenes play out explicitly. Widow's Walk is above average and entertaining. Isn't that what it's all about? P.S. |
First let me say I like Aycliffe's style which in this particular book blends shades of M. R. James and Stoker with a voice uniquely his own. Probably classifiable as literary horror, written in classic gothic style and terribly atmospheric; most people in the US will never get to see this lovely little book in their local chain bookshop. It is well worth the time and expense in special ordering. The UK is luckier, and may have a shot at it while browsing. On that note here not the plot. Professor Richard Asquith ensconced in his rooms at Cambridge laid up with an injured leg, is approached by an acquaintance of his for some help with a matter that is deeply disturbing. Matthew Atherton desperately needs his help. His brother Edward is rector at Thornham St. Stephen. While overseeing church restorations Edward disturbs the tomb of a fourteenth century Abbot, William de Lindesey. Since the opening of the tomb, strange deaths plague the village and Edward's health and sanity are rapidly deteriorating leaving Matthew fearful for his brother's life. Asquith puts Atherton off, until Matthew shows back up informing him of his brother's death. Richard Asquith does not want to get involved, but good manners and conscience demands that he must. They travel together to Thornham St. Stephen and discover that Edward Atherton's corpse is reinhabited. Their research turns up that the Abbot William de Lindesey had dealings in the blackest magic to save himself from the plague that swept through England in the 1300's. De Lindesey's spirit stalks Atherton's family, Atherton and Asquith who is recently married. Fearful for his family and armed with several clues but no real idea how to put them together, Asquith must stop de Lindesey and put him down before he too falls victim. What follows is some taut writing and genuinely creepy moments. There is much to like about this novel especially if you're a fan of the classic ghost story. Ayecliffe is masterful at building and sustaining suspense. His writing is dependable and he always gives a good read. If ghosts are your bag than this one's for you! P.S. |
A Shdow On The Wall |
The Town Bentley Little |
Gregory Tomasov and his family move back to his hometown McGuane Arizona after he wins the California state lottery. Their new house in this laid back sleepy little town unknown to them was the site of a horrible murder. The Tomasovs are a nice normal family from solid Russian Molokov stock where the old ways of tradition is but a step behind them. Not keen on traditions or folklore they fail to perform an important Russian custom. They forget to invite Jedushka Di Muvedushka, the "owner of the house" with them on their move. He is a protective spirit who takes care of the family and keeps evil away. Much has changed in McGuane from when Gregory was a young boy. It's still a laid back sleepy town but it has some new inhabitants besides Gregory's family. And they were uninvited. These guests launch a horrific attack on the town, on the Tomasovs and on Gregory. The Town is classic Bentley Little, complete with taboo sexuality and extreme suspense. It's a guaranteed pick for edge of your seat late night reading material. This book was previously published in the UK as Guests, and is finally available in a domestic edition. Thank you Signet! Bentley Little is the Bram Stoker winning author of The Revelation and a host of other fine and frightful tomes - University, The Summoning and The House. If you miss Little you probably live in a cave! P.S. |
Here now the reviews..... |
** R A T I N G S ** |
Are You Loathsome Tonight? Poppy Z. Brite |
Poppy Z. Brite excels at short fiction. This is her forte and she knows how to make it rock. In this finally mass-marketed edition of the limited, her latest selections are top notch. The stories are rich and varied and never predictable or disappointing. In Vermis Veritas, a maggot revels in its pursuits. Arise is a story of a strange alliance between rock stars, one living the other dead. Saved (co-written with Christa Fraust) is the story of a boy growing up searching for acceptance and finding it with his gun and a transvestite. King of the Cats (co-written with David Ferguson) is a retelling of a fairy tale. Nick, a young miller's apprentice is saved from drudgery by his cat-man lover. Cannibalism and zombies are a grisly mix in Self-Made Man. Steve and Ghost (Lost Souls) reappear in America, a funny little vignette as do Trevor and Zach (Drawing Blood) in Vine of the Soul. I think her most ambitious story, Mussolini And The Axeman's Jazz based partially on a factual New Orleans serial killer is near ingenious. Sad and sobering, Are You Loathsome Tonight? recounts what could plausibly be last few moments of Elvis's life. Brites's style has progressed since her last collection Wormwood. Her writing is more sophisticated and her cant is more stylish. Oh, she's still writing about young gay Asian Goth boys, but without that heavy Southern darkness laced though every line. Now her prose gives forth to emotional decay and mental rot as stringy as raw nerve endings. This collection is not for the homophobic. It will leave them gasping and grossed out. But if you're open minded and want something different and gripping to get into, this one's for you. This often vicious collection of twelve stories is in my opinion perhaps Brite's best work assembled yet. P.S. |
Eternity by Tamara Thorne Meet Zack Tully; a hotshot homicide detective with a sixth sense specializing in tracking down serial killers that were too elusive to be caught. The fiendish "Backdoor Man", the one case Tully is unable to crack becomes his obsession and when the Backdoor Man brutally murders Tully's wife and son it is nearly his ruin. Broken, burnt out and on the edge Tully accepts a job as sheriff in a small mountain village named Eternity. Picturesque and panoramic, Eternity is anything but peaceful. The plot thickens. Tully soon learns that the office of sheriff is indeed dangerous, the last few men to hold the post were murdered. It seems Eternity has an extremely high murder rate, one out of proportion for its size. But murder runs in cycles in Eternity - mass slayings and quiet spells. Tully finds himself with very few leads and very little help as he chases a killer who is imaginatively cruel, a skilled assassin who calls himself "Jack ". The locals are zany and eccentric. The strangest are the lifers who hold secret meetings, run the town council and place bets on who will be next to die. The lifers are more worried about attracting publicity to themselves and in preserving the tourism to Icehouse Mountain than catching the killer. Icehouse Mountain is California's answer to Stonehenge, a place of great mystery, power and energy. Tully has his hands full as he races against time, to find the killer because the killer knows Tully all too well. I don't want to give away too much, but it is about energy and portals, and well yes, eternity. What follows is a multi-layered plot that will keep you guessing until the end. Eternity is never boring, banal or obvious. Only a pro could pull this off and Thorne does. She has proved herself a force to be reckoned with. She writes with slicing wit and sharp intelligence. Tamara Thorne is a weaver of tales and a spinner of yarns. Damn fine ones. P.S. |
