Cat 5 Carnage

The hurricane has made landfall, and it brings something horrific. Like monster storms of the Caribbean, Gabino Iglesias knows how to spin something. Here, he spins yet another cat 5 tale, full of the things that earned him top honors from the Stoker and Jackson Awards. 

He brings it home in his latest effort, “House of Bone and Rain,” literally. This story, which starts with the seemingly senseless slaying of a working mother, takes place on the island and Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. And like the reign of San Juan’s drug lord, it is drenched in blood and saturated in woe with just enough humanity to keep you reading while you wait out the storm. It is a new story, and I am certain it was ripped from his heart as he wrote it, but the themes are similar to much of his earlier work. It is every bit as violent as it is human, and it contains elements of religious beliefs, the supernatural, and magic—the magic of family and friendship, as well as retribution and vengeance. As for the family and friends, some of the magic is real and some perception. Either way, when this storm passes and you turn that last page, you will find yourself picking up the debris of what is left and, like all great storms, it will stay with you long after the sun breaks through the clouds.  

House of Bone and Rain

by Gabino Iglesias

Published by Mulholland Books

August 6, 2024

ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0316427012

352 pages

#HouseofBoneandRain #NetGalley

This One Put A Scare Into Daddo

A disturbing and terrifying story about Bela and her family and her “Other Mommy.” Other Mommy is her friend and confidant—a lot like Daddo, her father, but Other Mommy, like Bela’s world, has changed. Her friend is no longer satisfied with just being a friend. It wants something from her and is growing increasingly impatient. It, like this story, is relentless. The tale starts out creepy and drags you down rather quickly into this imaginative, little girl’s world. And her world is much more than just a monster-in-the-closet. Those of you who have had small children know how relentless children can be with their questions. We sometimes dismiss what our children tell us—especially when things sound too fantastic. Ignore them at your own peril! 

The story is told from Bela’s perspective so it may seem a little difficult at first, but do stick with it. I found myself reading it in a child’s voice. It totally sucked me in and put a real scare into me. 

The story, and Bela’s voice, haunted me long after I closed the book. 

 

Incidents Around The House

by Josh Malerman

Published by Del Rey Books

June 25, 2024

ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 9780593723128

384 pages

Not Forgotten

FORGOTTEN SISTERS is another solid read from Cynthia Pelayo. Eerie and atmospheric, it is part haunted house/ghost story, and part noir detective/history lesson. At times, early on, I felt caught in a loop with the storyline, which, to me, felt repetitive. That may have been on me as I only spent short clips with the story. The author created a great sense of place and space in the telling of FORGOTTEN SISTERS. The sisters, Anna and Jennie, have their mysteries and their quirks. Their dynamic is a sad one of family responsibility and multi-layered heartache. The two detectives were a special treat—infrequent as their POV was, but the story was not really theirs. That said, I wanted more of them. I’m probably a weirdo, but I think my favorite part was the history of Chicago and its river. There are loads of breadcrumbs hidden in this book that could be easily overlooked, and yet, that ending!  

Forgotten Sisters

by Cynthia “Cina” Pelayo

Published by Thomas & Mercer

March 19, 2024 | 303 Pages | ISBN 978-1662513916

Almost a perfect ending

For me, this one started off a bit rocky. There was so much going on—so much death and destruction. And it all seemed like it was just another day. I suppose, in light of all that has happened in Proofrock, that could be forgiven. All for all that, SJG’s writing is as sharp as a strait razor. And his knowledge of slashers, and other horror, is downright sick. 

“Nightfall’s always closer than you think.”

Poor Jade. This tale is packed with so much trauma—both real and supernatural—that things almost started to feel like one of THOSE old horror flicks where ALL the various monsters are jammed into one movie. Unlike those particular movies, Jade’s story is not played for laughs. Jones uses just enough humor in Jade’s story to give you a respite from everything he throws at you. The story is raw and relentless and it will ravage you. 

I wish this old brain that lives in my head were so old and addled. I had a hard time remembering all of the everything Jones packed into these three books. No one will ever or could ever write such a bloody lover’s story to the ‘Last Girl.’  I grew up in the 1970s and 80s. At that time I was like a lot of boys my age—obsessed with the slasher. I religiously sequestered myself in those dark places and watched all the senseless slaughter with terror and delight. I was an eager participant, but somewhere along the way I lost my taste for that kind of blood. So I never got to finish any of Jason’s tales. Or Michael Myers’s or Freddy’s. Or of the gruesome Texas family that spawned Leatherface. So, I missed much of the love Jones showered on the genre. It seems he referenced EVERY slasher know, and then some. But I’m sure he missed a few. He had to. People can’t be that perfect. 

That said, this being the final installment of The Indian Lake Trilogy, we get the LAST? of Jade Daniels. We also get Letha’s story, although not in the same way we did in DON’T FEAR THE REAPER, the second book of the trilogy. Jones ties up enough of the story threads so masterfully that I ended up hating to turn the last few pages. I did not want the story to end. And when you get to the last page, don’t skip the acknowledgments. They reveal much of what the author went through as he took us all on this bloody trip to Proofrock. 

The good news is that I am certain that Stephen Graham Jones will deliver something else as only he can tell it. 

 

The Angel of Indian Lake 

by Stephen Graham Jones

Published by S&S/Saga Press

March 26, 2024

ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1668011669