STOCKHOLM by Catherine Steadman Publication Date: August 31, 2022 Length: 42 pages Rating: 4 Stars “An extravagant anniversary trip turns into a desperate scramble for survival in an unsettling short story about desire, manipulation, and revenge by a New York Times bestselling author.” Not gonna lie, this short story gave me anxiety. It’s a quick read but packed with a lot of dread, as an abused wife plans an escape from her ghastly husband during an anniversary trip to Sweden. I enjoyed this one, from the isolated snowy setting to the intense and unexpected ending. I’ve enjoyed previous books ..read more

Publisher’s Synopsis: THERE’S NOTHING AS GOOD AS THE RICH GONE BAD. When Ruby McTavish Callahan Woodward Miller Kenmore dies, she’s not only North Carolina’s richest woman, she’s also its most notorious. The victim of a famous kidnapping as a child and a widow four times over, Ruby ruled the tiny town of Tavistock from Ashby House, her family’s estate high in the Blue Ridge Mountains. But in the aftermath of her death, her adopted son, Camden, wants little to do with the house or the money — and even less to do with the surviving McTavishes. Instead, he rejects his inheritance, settling into ..read more

Publisher’s Synopsis: FROM THE CREATORS OF THE HAUNTING SEASON COMES A DAZZLING COLLECTION OF NEVER-BEFORE-SEEN GHOSTLY TALES. The tradition of a haunted tale at Christmas has flourished across the centuries. These twelve stories — authored by some of today’s most loved and lauded writers of historical and gothic fiction — are all centered around Christmas or Advent, boldly and playfully re-imagining a beloved tradition for a modern audience. Taking you from a haunted Tuscan villa to a remote Scottish island with a dark secret, these vibrant haunted stories are your ultimate companion for fro ..read more

Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton Publication Date: June 2, 2022 Source: Purchased from The Book Depository Rating: ★★★★¼ The heat is intense. The secrets are stifling. She just needs to escape… Nine guests arrive at a remote villa in the south of France. They know each other well. Or think they do. But at least one of them has plenty to hide — and nowhere to run. Under the relentless sun, loyalties will be tested, secrets revealed, and tensions pushed to the point of no return. I think the blurb for SUN DAMAGE is purposely vague, so I’m not going to say much about the plot. It’s set in the ..read more

Publisher: Atria Books Published: February 22, 2022 Source: Review copy from Edelweiss Rating: Rating: ★★★★½ In this spine-tingling, atmospheric debut for fans of Jennifer McMahon, Simone St. James, and Chris Bohjalian, a woman returns to her hometown after her childhood friend attempts suicide at a local haunted house — the same place where a traumatic incident shattered their lives twenty years ago. Few in sleepy Sumner’s Mills have stumbled across the Octagon House hidden deep in the woods. Even fewer are brave enough to trespass. A man had killed his wife and two young daughters there, a ..read more

Publisher: Atria/Emily Bestler Books Published: January 11, 2022 Source: Purchased (Kindle) Rating: ★★★ When Emma’s husband, Ben, falls in love with a large Victorian mansion for sale in upstate New York, he swears to her the fixer-upper will be worth the risk. With a baby on the way, Emma would like to live in a charming, safe community, after all — and in a space larger than a one-bedroom New York City apartment. On impulse, she agrees to Ben’s plan and they put in an offer on the house. Sure, the mansion has a somewhat creepy backstory and is a bit dilapidated, but Emma and Ben are in this ..read more

Publisher: Pegasus Crime Published: October 12, 2021 Source: Purchased (Nook) Rating: ★★★ Eight bestselling, award-winning writers return to the time-honored tradition of the seasonal ghost story in this spellbinding collection of new and original haunted tales. Long before Charles Dickens and Henry James popularized the tradition of supernatural horror, the shadowy nights of winter have been a time for people to gather together by the flicker of candlelight and experience the intoxicating thrill of a spooky tale. Now eight bestselling, award-winning authors — all of them master storytellers ..read more

“Fall has always been my favorite season. The time when everything bursts with its last beauty, as if nature had been saving up all year for the grand finale.” ― Lauren DeStefano The Book of Cold Cases by Simone St. James My rating: 3 of 5 stars ★ Publication date on March 15, 2022 ★ True crime podcasts are popular themes in thrillers these days, and in this book we have a cold cases blogger named Shea who lands an interview with Beth, the woman acquitted of murdering two men 40 years earlier. Shea has been long obsessed with this case, partly because it happened in her home town of Claire La ..read more

“We know that in September, we will wander through the warm winds of summer’s wreckage. We will welcome summer’s ghost.” ― Henry Rollins Happy September! My blogging break is over, though I’ve decided to go back to quick & simple “Thoughts on Books” posts for my reviews. My new job is going well, but balancing full-time work and home commitments is a challenge right now. If you want more info on the books below, just click the title. Have you read any of these? Thanks for stopping by… I’ll be back to blog hopping soon! THE GUILT TRIP (Audiobook) * Sandie Jones Minotaur Books August 3, 202 ..read more

Publisher: Gallery Books Release Date: July 3, 2007 — Reprint edition (First published in 1978) I’ve seen THE HOUSE NEXT DOOR on so many “Best of Horror” lists, and now I know why. It’s an enthralling blend of Southern gothic fiction and quiet horror. The creepy, slow-build kind that makes you question what’s really going on, something sinister or is your mind playing tricks? This book was originally published in the 1970s and is set during that time. Colquitt and her husband Walter live in an upscale Atlanta neighborhood. There’s a lot of tennis at the club, parties with the neighbors, and d ..read more