A Review of Little Eve. There's no place like home and not in a good way.

 The writing in Little Eve, by Catriona Ward, is so lush a reader will want to roll around in it. Just beautiful writing. Not very nice things happen so a reader might want to do some lush rolling then hide under a blanket and shiver with fear. Gruesome torture and murder and the author keeps us guessing about "who done it." More twists than there are in a Twizzler. More twists than in a slinky snake. Aha! A snake plays a huge role in Little Eve. Nobody is what they seem, and everybody is a suspect. A horror murder mystery.

Be forewarned, there is child abuse, sexual, emotional, and physical. There is some animal abuse. Much of it is difficult to read. But, with the otherwise lovely writing, and the amazing twists and turns, a horror writer could learn a lot from reading Little Eve.

Thanks to Tor and Netgalley for allowing me to read and review an eARC of Little Eve.

Not Quite What American Horror Wants, But Still a Good "How-to." Review of Ghost Stories and How to Write Them

 This how-to book was different than what I expected because the advice was for writing loving, family-oriented ghost stories for women's magazines in Great Britain. I don't think there are too many markets, or any for that matter, in women's magazine in the US. Mostly, American women's magazine tell us 50 ways to have an orgasm. (49 of them don't work. I've tried.) I wonder if an anthology of sweet, kind of sentimental ghost stories would find a market in America. Nah, Americans want 50 ways to have an orgasm with a ghost. Which reminds me of a story I'm writing.

I've had more luck selling horror horror stories than I have funny or sentimental ghost stories. Readers want to be kept awake at night, shivering under their weighted blankets. (It's harder for ghosts to get ya under a forty-pound blanket.) Or they may be in a nightie hoping for a supernatural climax.

Never-the-less, Ms. McGurl has some good pointers for short stories in general. In fact, my favorite story of hers, included in this book, was one she couldn't sell. The ghost could travel through time, but couldn't leave the space she was in. A new concept (to me) of a haunted house.

It's a pleasant book, told in a chatty style. If you're looking to write stories that would make Stephen King leave his lights on all night, this isn't the book. It's still a nice read about nice ghosts

Do Not Go Near That Well While Carrying Cutlets! Review of The Witch in The Well

If you ever have the urge to throw frozen meatballs into a well, run, run away fast!

There could be a carnivorous horse/demon/thingy down there. And its next meal could be YOU! 

Hopefully you won't end up as a horse/demon/thingy's blue plate special, but if you love creepy places where creepy things happen and a castle for good measure (of course!,) you'll enjoy The Witch in the Well.  Every character in the book has a different take on the witch and most of them are wrong.  We have a prissy know-it-all, her woo-woo former friend, a hunka hunka burning love plumber, and lots of missing children and adults. Did I mention the plumber?

If I have one complaint, it's that every character at one point rolls their eyeballs, sometimes twice. It is too hot to get out my eyeball-roll-o-meter because it would overheat on this one. The only one who doesn't roll its eyes is the horse/demon/thingy. Its eyes are solid black so how would we know if it was rolling them?

Maybe eyeball rolling as meaningful communication is my problem.  I guess that it passes as conversation today and I've been left behind with actual words. Other than that, I truly enjoyed The Witch in the Well and if eyeball rolling showed pleasure with a book, I'd get googly eyes right this minute.

Thanks to Tor and Netgalley for allowing me to read and review an eARC of The Witch in the Well.

I identify with the protagonist which is a scary thought. Review of Lucky Girl

 I loved this book. A few reviews claimed it wasn't scary. To me, nothing is scarier than people going missing, followed by lots of human bones found around where people went missing. As in most horror, it turns out that humans are the monsters.

I also liked the character Ro. She reminded me of myself, which is a scary thought indeed. I'm an introverted horror writer who also finds herself walking into situations better left alone. Unfortunately, I'm not a wealthy horror writer like Ro. 

And oh, that ending. Just when life is looking good for Ro, we know she'll end up in a heap of trouble.

Much thanks to Netgalley and Tor for allowing me to read and review Lucky Girl.

Bad bunnies, treeicide, and oh, more FREAKS! A review of Travelers.

 

                           Is there a phallic symbol on the cover or is that just my imagination? 

Ever drive through Southeastern Arkansas and wondered why there are no trees? It's because the Freaks have returned to play havoc with the forests. This time they're aided in their woody eradication by gloop-shooting FBI agents. At least the Freaks are a little nicer to each other than they were in the first novel, Freaks. They can still be catty to each other, but there is romance in the air and being snarky doesn't improve one's love life. They are insulting to the weird uncle, but heck, who wouldn't want a creepy, kookie, altogether spooky uncle who does magic and drives a Lexus? This is the fourth book I've read this year with icky, villainous rabbits. Are itty-bitty bunny rabbits the new monsters in books? Bitsy bunny did make for a cool cover for Travelers. If you can get past the wanton treeicide, it's a pretty exciting book. Some good, scary monsters in addition to criminal bunnies. Thanks to Netgalley and Imbrifex Books for allowing me to read and review an eARC of Travelers.

I Wouldn't Mind Hanging Out with This Band of Hybrids. A Review of The Daughter of Doctor Moreau.

 As with many classic monster books, the real horrors in The Daughter of Doctor Moreau are the people.

A bunch of sleazebags think anyone different than them are good for nothing but slavery. Indigenous people, hybrid people, women. (You'll have to read the book to see what hybrids are, but with Dr. Moreau in the title you can probably figure it out.

This isn't really a horror book, though horrible things happen. It's more of a historical fiction that happens to have piggy/kitty/people things in it. Luscious descriptions. 

I like luscious descriptions. To me, though, the beginning world-building went on and on...and on. Even as a description fan, I felt like it took a long time before anything happened. I kind of don't need to have every pot in the kitchen described.  About 40% in, things start to move along. Bear with it: it gets exciting.

It also took a long time before anybody questioned the expense of creating hybrid piggy/kitty/people thingys to work as field hands. I figured out long before the characters did that creating hybrid people was pricey compared to putting an ad under "Help Wanted." But sometimes one has to take poetic license. 

Thanks to Netgalley for allowing me to read and review an eARC of The Daughter of Doctor Moreau.