Stirring the Sheets is my first time reading Chad Lutzke’s work and I must say I really enjoyed this sombre, thoughtful novella published by Bloodshot Books. Stirring the Sheets is a grief-filled story about Emmett, a funeral home worker, and his struggles to cope with the loss of his wife of 50 years. Grief can do terrible things to people, it can pull you … Continue reading Book review: Stirring the Sheets – Chad Lutzke
Just like Vegemite, Unbury Carol is dividing opinion. Some think it’s the best thing Malerman has written and some think it’s drivel. It’s time for the Grim Reader’s verdict. Saddle up, dear reader, as we travel back to the old west. Yee-haw! Sadly, for me, Unbury Carol was a disappointing book. On the surface, it’s a kind of fractured fairy tale in which poor … Continue reading Book review: Unbury Carol – Josh Malerman
After slogging through a recent novel I was looking for something a little light-hearted, fun, fast, and a little bit odd, too. I certainly got that with Jimbo Yojimbo by David W. Barbee. I’d enjoyed David’s previous novel, Bacon Fried Bastard, released last year and was only too keen to get my fishy fingers on his latest story. Like Bacon Fried Bastard, this short novel … Continue reading Book review: Jimbo Yojimbo – David W. Barbee
Andrew Sutherland is certainly a talented chap. His project, North Hammer, sees him play all of the instruments on the album as well as write all the songs. I’ll be honest, when I come across a one-man project such as this, I approach with caution. I’ve found previously that albums as such can soon become monotonous largely due to a lack of input and … Continue reading Album review: Stormcaller – North Hammer
Fresh from his escape from the Cavern of the Damned, Grant Coleman is back in action, and this time he is enlisted by a huge corporation to travel deep into the Amazon jungle to go in search of a prehistoric beast. What could possibly go wrong? Well, as is so often the case with these books plenty can and does. Monsters in the Clouds … Continue reading Book review: Monsters in the Clouds – Russell James
Damn, this is a tough read, but an excellent one. Kealan Patrick Burke delivers the goods once again with this harrowing story about child abuse, the scars the abuse leaves on a person, and how the scars manifest into horrific visions and nightmares. A book needs to grab my attention from the first couple of pages, especially when it’s a novella. Burke does this with … Continue reading Book review: Jack & Jill – Kealan Patrick Burke
I have often talked about the writing talents of John F. D. Taff. Well, I’m about to do so again. Little Deaths has arisen from the ashes. It has a splendid new cover, it’s been re-edited and there have been some new stories included. It all adds up to a collection of modern horror that is as broad in theme as you are ever … Continue reading Book review: Little Deaths – John F D Taff
There’s nothing quite like a bit of melodic Spanish death metal to cleanse the soul. Dormanth hail from the city of Bilbao, Spain. I love metal that breaks new ground, but I’m also a fan of metal that treads familiar turf. Dormanth fall into the latter category. Vocalist/guitarist Oscar del Val certainly has that old-school throaty bellow that I like and the guitars … Continue reading Album review: IX Sins – Dormanth
Now, this is how to write a great horror novella. Tom Deady crams more horror, more feeling, more from his characters in this novella than most can in a novel of 300+ pages. Weekend Getaway was damn near perfect reading for me for a number of reasons. The first one is down to the characters: John and Rachel Baxter are great, easy to relate … Continue reading Book review: Weekend Getaway – Tom Deady
John F Leonard leaves behind the apocalypse and settles into creating his own mythos with the novel Bad Pennies. I’ve read a couple of John’s stories now including Call Drops and the novella 4 Hours. Call Drops, in particular, really worked well for me. I enjoyed John’s storytelling style, his witty humour and his obvious ability to spin a good yarn. Call Drops is … Continue reading Book review: Bad Pennies – John F Leonard
