Balm of Gilead Aaron Lebold Independently published (April 5, 2024) Reviewed by Nora B. Peevy If presented with a magical balm that could cure you of a fatal disease, what would you do? Would you do anything to get it? This is the question that faces Ryan, ex military in the Middle East, when he meets Omar. Omar shows him the Balm of Gilead and offers him a deal. Cure his ALS for the head of his enemy, Khaled, but is Khaled the enemy or is Omar? Is the Balm of Gilead a blessing or a curse? When Ryan calls on his old military buds to go on a mission to collect the head of Omar’s enemy, he is co ..read more

Unmarked Grave Carietta Dorsch Independently published (March 25, 2024) Reviewed by Nora B. Peevy I read Unmarked Grave, Carietta Dorsch’s debut novella, in one sitting. There was a raging thunderstorm, the perfect setting for a light late night serial killer tale. It just so happens I had settled down to read after feeding Bradbury (my turtle) his cockroaches. If you don’t like cockroaches, do not read this novella. If you love serial killers, gore, erotica, and well developed main characters, then this is the novella for you. Carietta Dorsch wasted no time putting me inside the mind of a pre ..read more

Gods of a Nameless Country Jeffrey Thomas JournalStone Publishing (March 1, 2024) Reviewed by Andrew Byers Jeffrey Thomas is an extremely prolific writer, perhaps best known for his Punktown setting and series, but he’s also written a great many stand-alone novels and unrelated story collections as well. I didn’t realize that he has also written several stories set in an isolated part of Southeast Asia called “The Unnamed Country.” Gods of a Nameless Country, a collection of two novelettes and a novella, is Thomas’ newest entry further exploring that setting and its rich past. Thomas’ other vo ..read more

The Dark Diaries Mark R. Vogel Independently published (December 8, 2023) Reviewed by Nora B. Peevy Mark R. Vogel’s The Dark Diaries is his fifth book following The Crestwood Lake series, The Ripper’s Time, and Food for Thought. The cover art is haunting and beautiful. This book is a real BANGER. I sat down to read after dinner and read straight through midnight. The anthology is amazing. Drawing from his own background his characters shine, and his plots are intricate. He has thirty-seven years experience as a psychologist, has published hundreds of food and wine articles, gone to culinary sc ..read more

TOXIC CANDYWeldon Burge Smart Rhino Publications (May 1, 2024)Reviewed by Carson Buckingham This author’s work is always worth anyone’s time, and Toxic Candy is no exception. It’s a highly diverse horror collection, bouncing from the end of the world, a hungry sea monster, to a fun take on The Lone Ranger, and so much more. Each is a little gem, deftly plotted, into which the reader voluntarily plunges to explore the engaging depths of storytelling at its finest. Here are my favorites: “A Less than Gratifying Vacation in Paris”—a story of bored rich women who take up unusual entertai ..read more

Living in CemeteriesCorey Farrenkopf JournalStone Publishing (April 19, 2024) Reviewed by Andrew Byers Imagine a world superficially similar to our own in which we have absolute proof that ghosts are real because we can all see and interact with them on a daily basis. In this world, we know that all of our loved ones, all of our ancestors, all of our descendants, and ourselves, die and then return as incorporeal spirits able to communicate with the living. How would that change our society? How would it change the course of your own life? The world of Living in Cemeteries differs in a few key ..read more

Den of the Wererats Terry Miller Gloom House Publishing (August 7, 2022) Reviewed by Nora B. Peevy Devin is a pizza boy down on his luck and Kelly Tate is the unluckiest girl at closing time. Both are turned by the den of wererats led by their maniacal leader, Jonathan and both are betrayed by the den, learning quickly that the only wererat you can trust is yourself or possibly, The Mother. But can you really trust The Mother? Terry Miller’s Den of the Wererats is a fun, fast-paced rat brawl with more teeth than Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh. If you’re looking for high fantasy with a backst ..read more

The Girl in Red Christina Henry Berkley (June 18, 2019) Reviewed by Carson Buckingham In this clever re-imagining of “Little Red Riding Hood,” Red is a young woman on her own in an apocalyptic world decimated by a disease called “The Cough,” as well as something more insidious. Some, like Red, are immune, but most are not. The military is rounding up those left alive and putting them into internment camps “for their own protection.” Now where have we heard that before, F.D.R? Red’s life simplifies down to a search for food and hiding from…well…everybody. She makes Fox Mulder look like an open ..read more

This Mortal Coil Cynthia Asquith Solar Press (March 2024) Reviewed by Mario Guslandi Originally published in 1947 by the legendary Arkham House, the present collection includes nine weird and macabre stories penned by Lady Cynthia Asquith ( 1887-1960), a British author and anthologist especially devoted to ghostly and supernatural tales. Writing in an elegant yet straightforward style, Asquith captures the reader’s attention from the very first paragraphs and is able to hold it until the last sentence. Not all the stories in the volume are quite memorable, but most of them are truly excellent ..read more

Orphans of Wonderland Greg F. Gifune JournalStone Publishing (July 27, 2018) Reviewed by Andrew Byers Originally published in 2015 by Samhain Publishing, Orphans of Wonderland was re-released by JournalStone in 2018. The protagonist of Orphans of Wonderland is Joel Walker, a journalist haunted by a dark history. Twenty years prior, he delved into the investigation of a ritual killing, a tale that captivated the masses during the Satanic hysteria of the 1980s. Walker’s pursuit of truth left him shattered, a victim of a nervous breakdown, forcing him into a reclusive, small-town existence. Joel ..read more