Throwing Muses

 I have been posting more light-hearted, silly, and/or things-I-find-interesting things recently on my Facebook page again. It reminds me of what life was like pre-2016 when the Great Division started. And that's as political as this post will get.

A few days ago, I posted this poem, Throwing Children, by Ross Gay. It was the daily Poem-A-Day, The Academy of American Poets. It brought back warm memories of my daughter's youth. Sadly, I don't have as many from before her 4th year as she was already five when my wife and I married, but I do have a few and they are treasures. 

That post touched many of those who read it, in the same way—bringing joyous memories. It also did something else. It inspired a comment by Ramsey Campbell. That made my day. And put me on a feel-good high and, actually, helped me over a rather nasty dry spell writing. So, thank you, Sir! 

For those of you who don't recognize the name, he writes horror. Fantastic Fiction describes him as "the world's most decorated author of horror, terror, suspense, dark fantasy, and supernatural fiction." No small feat, that, but certainly well-deserved. Collider calls him, "the UK’s Stephen King."  in a recent article about why we aren't adapting his books to film & streaming.  That is an excellent question and one Hollywood should be taking to heart. Instead of regurgitating and remaking things like the Harry Potter movies. (Gah! An altogether different rant!) I came to reading Ramsey Campbell as I started my own career writing horror, fantasy, and the weird. Like the aforementioned, Stephen King, he is prolific. I am still slowly working through his canon and I urge all of you to do the same. 

Campbell reveals, 

"My fellow clansman Paul Campbell will remember the birth of this tale. At the Dead Dog party after the 2010 World Horror Convention in Brighton, someone was throwing a delighted toddler into the air. I was ambushed by an idea and had to apologise to Paul for rushing away to my room to scribble notes." 

The result is his short story, WITH THE ANGELS. It's less than $1 at Amazon, or for a dollar more at Barnes & Noble, you can get Mammoth Books presents A Ghostly Gathering: Four Stories. It includes stories from three other writers in the field—Thana Niveau, Mark Morris, Angela Slatter. 

Possessed

This story appealed to me on many levels. It is a nuanced and horrific tale mixing Mexican folklore, possessions on various levels, and the exploration the generational trauma of Alejandra’s family history. At first glance, Alejandra is not a likable character. Tortured by her life choices and pondering suicide, and worse, she is also considering taking her children with her. She is hurting and filled with self-loathing, so it was a little hard to stick by her side early on, but Castro has told many great stories, so I stuck with it. Once Alejandra started with Melanie, her therapist and curandera, the story became much more interesting. On another note, as an adoptee and adopter, I found this aspect of her journey highly relatable. My main complaint is that toward the end of the story, some of the ancestor stories acted like cardboard cutouts making the end feel a little rushed. A 3.5-star rating for one of V. Castro’s stories is a 4 for most other authors. 

The Haunting of Alejandra

by V. Castro

Published by Del Rey

March 18, 2023 | 272 Pages | ISBN-13: 9780593499696

I would like to thank the author, publisher, and NetGalley for providing an ARC of this novel.

So Little Time…

I grew up during the height of the Cold War. The USSR was the big boogie man. Communism wanted to destroy our way of life. Then the Wall came down and the Soviet Empire fell. The insidious fear of the ever-present threat was gone. We had PEACE and the promise of a new world. But that didn’t last. The world found itself being forced to deal with threats from the past. Putin claimed Russia for himself and the World finds itself confronted with the brutal invasion of Crimea and Ukraine, Russian oligarchs, and Russian crime. So as an escape where did I turn? Television? Slow Horses on Apple+ and Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan on Amazon Prime. Reading? RED LONDON by Alma Katsu. Russia is once again. EVERYWHERE. The stories are engaging. The menace is real. And Putin’s Russia makes for a great villain. 

Lyndsey Duncan is back, and what she is involved in is complicated and a little confusing. Katsu teases us with the story of a Russian war criminal, but we end up getting the story of a Russian oligarch. While I did not find RED LONDON as engaging as Katsu’s first book in the series, RED WIDOW, at times I did lose myself in the story. You won’t lose your breath trying to keep up with a Jason Bourne or a Jack Ryan, but the real-world stakes are just as high. The psychology of manipulation was intriguing, as was the Anglo-American intelligence cooperation but I couldn’t find much to like about Emily, the British wife of the oligarch and Lyndsey’s target. By the end, I did feel a bit sorry for her. This story is rife with secret identities, private contractors, ex-lovers, clandestine meetings, and so much more. Who can Lyndsey trust? This is a different type of spy game. 

This book is fiction, but Katsu pulls from her 30-plus career in national security. And while she did her best to portray world events, she, like so many others, couldn't have predicted that the war on Ukraine would still be taking its murderous toll on the country and the people there. It seems with Putin, there is no level to his depravity and with the rest of Russia, they seem too scared to do what is right and put an end to this madness. 

I really tried to get this book read before launch day. It didn’t have anything to do with the book itself, it was how busy I had made my life. I often find that I stretch myself a little thin. I have my own writing and a few illustration projects that would be enough to keep me busy on their own, but I also have a house to paint, then there’s yard work, the pool, and family life. On top of all that, I try to get in at least an hour of reading every day. I reserve the night for TV with my wife. It’s not quite how I had envisioned retirement. 

Red London

by Alma Katsu

Published by G.P. Putnam's Sons

March 14, 2023 | 352 Pages | ISBN-13: 978-0593421956

I would like to thank the author, publisher, and NetGalley for providing an ARC of this novel.

Hang On Tight and Try To Keep Up

I went into this one completely clueless other than knowing I was in for some kind of ride.

More than a romp, this road trip book is crazy. You'll find more twists, turns, and surprises in this story than you would if you made it to the last call in a dozen of the South's most insane dive bars listening to THAT guy tell the most unbelievable stories you have ever heard. Like much of Lansdale's work, this one is hard to pigeonhole. JANE GOES NORTH is a buddy story/road trip of two women who really don't like each other. It's a little comedy and a little crime painted with a broad brush of violent, Southern Gothic. One bit of advice to take with you after reading this one—if you are driving through any tiny, hole-in-the-wall, backwater Southern towns make sure you have a full tank of gas and you do NOT stop at the Save-Mart for anything.

I listened to the audiobook. Kasey Lansdale's reading of Jane Goes North adds an extra layer of Lansdale goodness. I'd suggest you give it a listen, even if you have already read it.

The image above is the cover from the Subterranean Press release, but I have to include the paperback cover version of this from Pandi Press. It features a vintage Thunderbird. It is not the car from the story, but for those who have known me for a long time, I used to have one of these beauties. My father bought it off the showroom floor. The family took it West for an epic road trip of our own back in 1969. It was my mom and dad, my sister, Debbie, and our dog, Peanuts, all jammed into the T-Bird and hauling a 13-foot Shasta camper. Florida to California and back. We were packed so tight we couldn't put the top down. My father gave it to me not long before he died. I had it up until a few years ago. It was getting too expensive to maintain. I sure did hate to part with it. 

---

On a side note, since I mentioned Kasey Lansdale. I had the pleasure of working with her a while back on one of my own stories, TALL TALES 'N' TREMBLIN.' It is a short story that came out of some character development and research that I was noodling on for the novel that I have been working on for years. The good news is that I am finally on the editing stage, so I hope to be ready to query agents before year's end. My story was originally published as part of the weekly Kaidankai: Ghost and Supernatural Stories podcast. I had heard Kasey read DEAD MAN'S CURVE, a story she and her father co-wrote for the anthology, NIGHTS OF THE LIVING DEAD. We I got word that my story was going to be read, I thought I'd reach out to Kasey and see if she would be interested. I couldn't believe she was available. Thanks again Kasey!

There's Nothing to Fear, But…

DON'T FEAR THE REAPER follows in the bloody footsteps of MY HEART IS A CHAINSAW. 4-1/2 stars

I have heard talk that the first book was so darned good. The publisher, like almost everyone who read it, wanted more. Stephen Graham Jones had a killer on his hands that would not die—his book about THE last girl, Jade Daniels. Unlike so many sequels ordered up after a successful stand alone, REAPER shines brighter than the first, and that is a good thing because this book is cold, dark, and brutal. That’s not surprising as this book, like its predecessor, MY HEART IS A CHAINSAW, is an homage to the slasher, particularly of the 1980s-90s, the Crimson Age of Slashers. 

REAPER picks up four years after the first book with an escaped serial killer on the loose. Jade, now fresh out of prison, is back in Proofrock. No longer obsessed with horror movies, she wants normalcy, but that’s not how things work with final girls. The town has been cut off by a blizzard. The serial killer, Dark Mill South, has escaped and has begun killing once again in Proofrock. Or has he? Is he more than human? Is it something else? Something is definitely going on here. The town’s senior class is being picked off in theatrical slasher form. And we are off and running. 

There is a LOT going on in this book. At times, I felt like I was the one lost in a blinding snowstorm—one I couldn’t get out of because I had a hard time putting this book down. The writing of Stephen Graham Jones is intelligent, if not downright nerdy in the way he drills down into the characters. And he brings each of those those characters to life. Flesh and blood. Lots of blood. 

Two down. One left. 

Don't Fear the Reaper

by Stephen Graham Jones

Published by Gallery/Saga Press

February 7, 2023 | 464 Pages | ISBN 9781982186593

I would like to thank the author, publisher, and NetGalley for providing an ARC of this novel.

---

 

On a side note, Jones has written an interesting alternative history in comic book form. A huge comic book fan, EARTHDIVERS, is his first ongoing series. Also on this title are collaborators, artist Davide Gianfelice, colorist Joana Lafuente, and letterer Steve Wands. IDW states: Set in a postapocalyptic near future, Earthdivers follows a small group of Indigenous survivors who time-travel to prevent the creation of America and retroactively save the world from destruction. In each arc, they will target a pivotal point in history, beginning with a mission to kill Christopher Columbus in 1492. Check out this interview at The Nerdist. 

Abandoned by the Gods and fueled by rage

Jonathan Maberry is a magician. He is the author of over 60 books in a wide variety of genres. While his name is not as recognizable as Steven King, John Grisham, or Margaret Atwood, I can’t think of another author who has accomplished so much. I first stumbled upon the Maberry name online. Day after day, I found myself confronted by zombies. And as any human would do, I ran. But he persisted, and I finally was bitten. There was no better place for me to start than Patient Zero. The virus was hot and ran through me as quickly as I read through the entire ten novel arc of one of his most beloved characters, Joe Ledger. Think Jack Reacher meets The X-Files. I read or listened to most of them in my mother’s days in her battle with dementia. I spent many nights in the hospital in an uncomfortable chair in the dark, listening to Ray Porter bring Jonathan Maberry’s creations to life. The stories, while fast-paced and terrifying, distracted from the buzz of the fluorescent lights seeping in from the hallway and the beeping of the monitors and machines that were often the only things that confirmed that my mother was still here. Ten books, then done. As I age, the memories of my mother are sometimes difficult to hold on to, but she lives on. And so does Joe Ledger. The first ten-book run completed an arc, but Maberry is keeping him alive in a second series. The next, his third, is Cave 13, and will be out soon.

So, there you have it. The origin story of my literary relationship with Jonathan Maberry. Or, possibly a more apt description, my Bore-igin Story. This is a weird way to ease into a review of his latest novel, The Son of the Poison Rose. 

The Son of the Poison Rose is the second book of a proposed trilogy and continues the story of Kagen the Damned. Sword and sorcery is a new genre for Maberry—at least for the reader. Getting blurbed by Michael Moorcock should be a clue that he has long been a fan. I won’t go into the plot of the story. There are plenty of places you can find that. Maberry’s writing is rich and pointed, his characters colorful and unique, especially for a sword and sorcery tale. Kagen is a very damaged character who wields his daggers with skill and bloodlust, especially when dealing with those from the Silver Empire. The story itself is a boiling cauldron—part sword and sorcery, part cosmic horror. Maberry’s world-building is fresh and engaging. I’m hoping we get a little more of Vespia in the next book. The author barely touched the cannibal-infested rainforest. Then there are the Hollow Monks, a Razor Knight, the royal twins are coming along nicely. Or horribly. Whichever you prefer. They’re you and impressionable, but have a mind of their own. My bet is that we’ll see much more of them and be off to the frozen wastelands known as the Winterwilds as the third book, A Dragon in Winter, teases. Maberry has a lot of threads and stories all moving toward a blood-soaked conclusion. And Kagen has a score of scores to settle with the Witch-king. 

If the book has a weak link, it is in its pacing. While the plot and sub-plots were all engaging, there were a few times I found myself wanting the author to speed things up, but there were also times I wanted more, and that’s with almost 700 pages of story.

Reading Kagen the Damned, the first in the series, is not 100% required reading. Maberry weaves this tale so you can jump right in, but I recommend doing so as there is so much world-building. His next novel in the series is supposed to wrap things up, and on some level, I’m sure he will, but I have a feeling that we will be seeing a lot more from Kagen. 

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Griffin, and the author for providing an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. I’d encourage you to buy this book from your favorite indy bookseller or you could buy it from one of Jonathan Maberry’s favorite booksellers, Mysterious Galaxy, where you should be able to request an autographed edition. I have purchased a number of books from them. They are great people. Or buy from the big A. Whatever you do, buy the book. 

Shrooms!

Gah! This popped up in my "memories on Facebook" this morning. My front yard was full of these little mushrooms one morning last year. They mysteriously appeared overnight. And yesterday, I finished Ghosteaters, an audiobook by Clay McLeod Chapman. If you read you, you know. If you haven't gotten around to it yet, it is hitting a LOT of the end of the year best lists. BE WARNED, If drug use and addiction  trigger you, you should probably skip this one. 

This story is a good solid horror. At times, I'd give it six stars out of five, but there were other places in the book that I felt slowed down. It certainly was one of the more unique tales I have read this year. 

New from Fracassi

Philip Fracassi’s Gothic is a desperate tale of madness and suffering for aging horror author, Tyson Parks. He has lost his place at the top and is desperate to write anything. This leads him to succumb to the lure of possession and not-so-empty promises. It is the story of a writer who is both cursed and possessed, but it goes beyond whatever makes the arcane desk tick. There is more, some of which is only hinted at. One can’t help but think about Stephen King’s own tormented writer, Jack Torrance. And like that doomed writer, Tyson’s loved ones are also caught up in the madness. Fracassi puts his own twist on an evil object story. 

If you like weird horror with hints of an unseen cosmic ‘other’ that is too twisted to comprehend, this is a good read for you. I wanted more. I’m hoping that this tale from Fracassi gets to make the leap to film. I’d love to see and feel the tension.

The release date for this one is February 3, 2023. I recommend that you pre-order this one from Cemetery Dance. I have a feeling that this one could quickly go into a second printing.  

Gothic

by Philip Fracassi

Published by Cemetery Dance Publications

February 3, 2023 | 408 Pages | ISBN 9781587678400

I would like to thank the author, publisher, and NetGalley for providing an ARC of this novel.

---

On a side note, if you like horror or are interested in what makes a horror writer tick, do check out Fracassi's podcast, The Dark Word. Season One guests include Laird Barron, Joe Lansdale, Paul Tremblay, Alma Katsu, S.A. Cosby, Stephen Graham Jones, Victor LaValle, and many more. Season Two is out now!

Snap!

I went into this story knowing nothing about JACKAL or its author. The story started a bit slow for me, but the pace intensified as the time ran out. In the end, I was hooked. This was Adams's debut novel. She filled her story with pain, frustration, fear, and rage—a flood of emotions. And they are all expected with a story about an abducted child—one of far too many. I also found the author’s voice to have an undeniable hope in the future. In better things. In a better life. “Nothing good comes from being hateful and hollow.” Words to live by in today’s divisive times.

Snap!

Amidst this pain and loss is a fierceness of determination to get to the truth. And the truth that her protagonist, Liz, is looking for should rip your heart out. The setting is the mostly-white, Johnstown, Pennsylvania, but this is an American story. It is one equal parts thriller and whodunit—splashed with horror. While some of that horror is of the paranormal/supernatural variety, be forewarned, much of it, sadly, is all too real. Violence. Racism. Child death. Body Horror. Domestic violence. Gore. Alcohol abuse. Eating disorder. Animal death. Kidnapping. Off-page rape. Off-page violence against children.

JACKAL, by Erin E. Adams
Published by Bantam | Oct 04, 2022
336 Pages | ISBN 978-0593499306

Thank you to #NetGalley, Bantam/Random House Publishing, and the author in exchange for my honest review. I am thrilled to have been able to get a sneak peek. I look forward to whatever is next from Erin E. Adams.

Daphne is a BAD Girl

Image from Josh Malerman's Facebook page.

DAPHNE (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️) kicks off with a basketball shot. I couldn’t help but think back to 2020 and Stephen Graham Jones’s THE ONLY GOOD INDIANS—my favorite read of that plague-ridden year. This book description starts “It’s the last summer for Kit Lamb…” It would be the last summer for so many of the Samhattan basketball team. That alone might be enough to hook you. It got me started.

Basketball was one of the sports I tried in my adolescence (and failed at miserably). Malerman takes this popular game youth and turns it sinister by adding a second game to the mechanics of it called “Ask the Rim.” It is a childhood game, something the girls of summer league basketball play. It is something akin to asking the Ouija questions about life and what the future holds. We’ve all played similar games. Unfortunately for the newly crowned star of the summer league, Kit Lamb, this game, the question she asked, and the answer given by the Net become terrifyingly intertwined with the local urban legend of Daphne. 

This book hit all the right spots. And while I’m not a huge fan of slashers or the ‘final girl’ trope, this one was brilliant. Malerman is masterful in bringing all of these kids to life. The characters are real, their banter poignant, as far as high schoolers go. And through great storytelling, their reality will become your reality.

There are so many great lines in this book. This one, early on, was one of many that had me thinking. “Next is for whenever now needs a fucking change.” The release date for this book is in late August, but don’t wait. Preorder it. Don’t do it next. Do it now. 

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Ballantine for this ARC of Daphne by Josh Malerman.

The Devil Takes You Home

Gabino Iglesias hasn’t released a novel since 2018’s Barrio noir, Coyote Songs. This August, this Bram Stoker, Anthony, and Locus award-nominated author will once again drag you through a horrific nightmare of grief, loss, and desperation. One thing you can count on when reading anything by Iglesias you are in for a weird, wild, and strangely violent ride. I found myself reading this book at odd times and in unusual places just to get in one more page. 

Be advised, he unapologetically sprinkles Spanish throughout the novel. It flows like the blood gushing through and out of this tortured tale of a man agonizing the loss of everything he loved—his daughter and wife, and what little life he managed to piece together in a country that dangles its promises in front of far too many—just out of reach. The Devil Takes You Home is as much a horror as it is a crime novel, but it is also a human story. It is a brutal account of a near-impossible heist. It starts with the horror of a happy family losing a child to cancer—a loss that should not have happened and wouldn’t have if life was fair. 

You don’t know horror until you’ve spent a few hours inside a hospital looking at the fitful sleep of a loved one who is being taken from you. You don’t know desperation until the uselessness of praying hits you.

Cancer is just the beginning. It gets darker. Much.

The protagonist, Mario, is a rich and complicated character. Along for the ride is his junky, friend Brian and a cartel man, Juanca. Mario is willing to go any length to hang onto what little piece of hope he can. As his story unravels, it begs the question, how bad can you be and still be good? How much can you witness? How much can you force yourself to do before you lose what makes you human?

Someone needs to give Iglesias duffel bags full of money so he can write full time and bleed more stories. Let him conjure up more “magic” to transport us to a dangerous world between worlds where magic, blood, and hope live. My hope is he won’t make us wait four more years for his next novel.

The release date for this one is August 2nd, 2022. That date coincidently is the release of Don’t Fear the Reaper. The sequel to Stephen Graham Jones's My Heart Is A Chainsaw. Pre-order both of them NOW from your favorite independent bookstore.

Thank you to the publisher, Mulholland Books, and NetGalley for the review copy. And an added thanks to Gabino Iglesias for keeping me up late and scaring the shit out of me. Again.

Woodland Wardens by Jessica Roux

Woodland Wardens is beautifully designed. While I don’t have any first-hand skill with oracle decks or Tarot cards, have always drawn me to the hidden mysteries of the nature of things. The author, Jessica Roux, pairs her words and illustrations and offers visions of magic as she pairs plants and animals. Her love and knowledge of the natural world harken back to the Victorian Age when the study of flora and fauna was itself an art form. 

One need not be a practitioner of the mystical or dark arts to benefit from the thoughtful reflection gained from the deck. It is “intended as a living tool for deepening your self-awareness, especially to nature.” The author encourages you to act as a warden throughout your day. She encourages you to be a steward and to guard the gifts bestowed upon us by the things and spirits found in nature. My one complaint is that the Guide is not in color. 

This guide is perfect for those experienced with oracle decks as well as the beginner. Roux walks you through various ways to put the deck to use. She also encourages you to discover your own path. The cards themselves offer some strange and unexpected pairings. Take Card 42, the Eel and the Iris. This card symbolizes SAFETY. My first thought is that neither offers a sense of safety, but when one considers the author’s words, it is much easier to see. The eel, being slippery, enables it to escape harm, while the iris is a medieval symbol of power and victory. One can see how stealth and power can ensure “safety in our homes, relationships, and work”.

Woodland Wardens pulls from a variety of belief systems—from the ancient Greek, Roman, and Norse to Maori and other indigenous beliefs and traditions. It even draws on the teachings of the Christian Bible. I can see the deck, along with the guide, being a thought-provoking tool to reflect on life and nature. 

This deck is magical, but it does not have all the answers. That said, Roux’s thoughtful words and rich illustrations should provide enough as a basis to start your journey.  

Well, I'll Be Damned!

This is just the beginning of Jonathan Maberry’s foray into epic dark fantasy. It started in the middle of an all-out invasion where things were happening fast. The Silver Empire was being overrun in the most unbelievable of ways. There is viciousness and brutality against pretty much anything that lives. The invasion itself was over in a flash of banefire, then the story slowed to a trickle or a few dozen mugs of wine and ale. Things can slow in epic fantasy because of world-building and character development. The story follows multiple storylines, along with more than a few flashbacks. But then? Then all the snares and webs and traps had been set, and the tale took off.

Kagen is our unlikely hero. Of course, he is the main character and should be the hero, but as the aftermath of the invasion sets in, it looks less and less likely that he has any hero left in him. He is haunted and, because of the circumstances at the beginning of this book, damned with no hope of salvation. I could have done with a little less of Kagen the Drunkard, but it reveals to what depths our hero has sunk. If that bothers you, don’t let it put you off. Stick with the story, it grows and twists and is full of rich characters, male and female alike. The Witch-King of Hakkia and his cronies make for some great villains. And there are the side stories with nuns, the undead, and the minions of Cthulhu. Those threads will keep you guessing right up to the end. This story has it all. Interesting, complicated, and mysterious characters? Epic battles and sharp cutty things? Check. Sorcery, enchantment, and creatures? Check. Thieving? Yup. Blood? Gore? Magic? Political intrigue? Check, check, check, and oh, yes! 

From the outset, we were told that Kagen the Damned is "the first installment of an exciting new series of dark epic fantasy," so don’t be disappointed when this tale ends on a maddening cliffhanger. It will leave you wanting more. I cannot wait for book two, Son of the Poison Rose! 

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Griffin for providing an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

THE VIOLENCE by Delilah Dawson

When I had requested The Violence, I had no idea what to expect. I am familiar with the author, Delilah Dawson/Lila Bowen, and have read several other works. I enjoyed everything I read, so it is no surprise that I liked this book, but it is so very different than what I expected. So, what did I expect? Given the state of the world these days and her other books, I expected something more along the line of The Stand or the more recent stories like Survivor Song or The Wanderers. There is a virus, but unlike the aforementioned novels, the whole world hasn’t gone to hell and spiraled into a post-apocalyptic nightmare. 

There’s a passage in the book of a description of men who possess and abuse women. Damn! This book is powerful on so many levels. As I read it, I often thought of the pain relived by so many abused. The Violence proved to be a blessing and a curse. My hope is that the author and all those who have lived through abuse physical and/or mental, are able to escape and heal. Perhaps this book will be a start. 

The book is brilliant. It is expertly crafted. The characters—mostly women— are rich and multi-layered like the story itself. There are certainly horrific scenes in this book, but it is a human story—one of survival and redemption. It should be on everyone’s reading list. 

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for providing an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Estate Sailin'

Over the weekend, my wife and I made the trek downstate to a couple of remarkable estate sales. One was in Ormond Beach and was the home of a former Washington D.C. bureaucrat who worked in the Finance sector. His wife was a model. The place was loaded with old invitations to D.C. events & parties. I picked up a few trinkets and some fun postcards. There was also a "Confidential Committee Print" of the EXAMINATION OF VICE PRESIDENT DESIGNATE NELSON A. ROCKEFELLER'S TAX RETURNS AND OTHER RECORDS. Tucked inside that was a typewritten sheet on the topic of "Men." It starts out "Men are what women marry. They have two feet, two hands, and sometimes two wives, but they never have more than one dollar and one idea at a time." I assume the sheet belonged to the same woman that owned the "Uppity Women Unite" button. Judging from the things in their home, they must have been a fun couple.

 

The second one was in Gainesville. It was the estate of Jack Clare Nichelson, an accomplished artist and long-time professor at the University of Florida. He passed away a number of years ago. The sale was the first of two. The house was a very cool mid-century modern designed home and was loaded with some of the things he collected over a lifetime. I ended up only purchasing the small wooden Madonna pictured. It is barely an inch-and-a-half tall and, while most likely just a tourist souvenir, the detail is remarkable for such a small piece. There were a number of pieces of tramp art that would have been nice, but I refrained.

Estate Sales are places of a duality of feelings. I love finding unique and strange things just as I love finding a hidden treasure, but there is also a great melancholy that often overcomes me. They are small snapshots of people's lives filled with things that made only them happy as they didn't seem to hold enough of the person to make those that they left behind treasure them as well. 

Sing For Me

Illustration: Michael O'Connell

When you dare read this book, you’ll have to decide if Malerman is preaching to you or if he is just telling you a wicked story that takes you from A to B. Is it a slasher? A fairy tale? A morality tale? He’ll leave you rooting around for a nice safe place to make up your own mind.. 

The story is as I imagine Pearl’s skin to be—either too hot and feverish or too cold and clammy. Either way, its coarse bristles prevent even a pleasant feeling from taking hold, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t like it. It might just be my favorite horror of 2021. This grisly tale got inside my brain and has stayed with me. It’s a creepy and strange one about a pig on a Michigan farm who has a kind of telepathy. Pearl can get inside your brain and root around in your thoughts. He learns things while he is in there and then uses them in ways that will savage you. He makes you want to do things and convinces you it was your idea. As I said, Malerman packs a lot into this short book and he left me wanting more. 

If you let him, Malerman will take your imagination and carry it (you) into the barn and hang it from a hook. He will leave it (you) there dangling, waiting for a savior to release you before the damage is done. But he won’t allow that. Like Pearl, he casts a dark shadow where your fears live. Some of those fears might have been planted by Orwell years ago with Animal Farm. I suspect it was no coincidence that one of the farmers was also named Jones. But Pearl is not Napoleon, and he certainly is not Snowflake. Pearl is a new kind of horror and it will have you singing for him before the end of the story. And speaking of the end of the story, I am at a loss. Was that the end? Or was it what Pearl wanted us to think was the end? 

I don’t quite understand people getting triggered by bloodshed and violence toward animals—but not people. However, for those of you who are the former, this twisty little tale has buckets of blood and gore heaped upon the animals—and people, but that’s partly why you’ll be reading this novel, right?

I’d love to hear your thoughts, Occasional Reader.

Sing for me.

What are you willing to sacrifice?

To Offer Her Pleasure

by Ali Seay

Published by Weirdpunk Books.

ISBN-13: 9781951658175

150 pages

This is a very unusual coming-of-age story. Ben’s father died. His mother started dating a loser who becomes Ben’s tormentor. Surprise, surprise. And then, out of the blue, his mother deserts him. Now Ben must learn to deal with his predicament. He gets a little help. 

Here are a few thoughts without getting all spoilery. The writing is imaginative. The characters are, for the most part, strong in the sense that there is a nice mix and they seem to be possibly more real than the protagonist. Then there is the antlered woman on the cover. She is very creepy. We are given just enough information to set our minds reeling and always wanting just a little bit more.

There is a lot packed into this horror novella—family, sacrifice, teen angst, and the aforementioned coming of age. On the whole, this was a great read, but I did want a few things. I wanted to see some consequences. I wanted to know a bit more about the creepy woods where Ben and Mikey take their walks. And I wanted Ben to be a little more likable. In some places, you are cheering him on and in others you are left scratching your head thinking WTF, man. Ben is complicated. He is a loner, and he has been hurt and it is because he has been through so much that you can’t help rooting for him and wanting to know what’s next. 

This was not quite a five-star read for me, but it is close. It is creepy, atmospheric, and downright nasty in places. The author, Ali Seay, is relatively new to the horror scene. I expect that we will be hearing a lot more about her. 

We are all beasts of one sort or another

Strange Beasts of China
(异兽志, Yi Shou Zhi)
by Yan Ge,
Jeremy Tiang (Translator)
Narrated by Emily Woo Zeller
Published by Melville House
ISBN 9781612199092

I’m not sure how I feel about this book. Parts of this magical tale were indeed, magic and otherworldly. Others became a bit monotonous and repetitive. Perhaps because, in part, this story was written like a scientific paper or bestiary. It is rare for me to want to put a book down, especially one as creative and as different as Strange Beasts of China, and I almost did. Almost, but I stuck it out and was rewarded. The story built upon itself and transformed into quite an enchanting story. I did wonder if some of what made this a difficult read for me arose from cultural differences either on my part for not understanding the humor or just a gag reaction to all the puking or near-puking that the narrator did.

Each chapter spotlights a different type of beast and each chapter starts out like a zoology text identifying the characteristics of the beast by means of observation, just as the narrator mixes her zoological background with her current occupation as a novelist, and now a reporter. 

A former zoology-student-turned-novelist, the local newspaper has hired the unnamed narrator to provide stories about the various, strange beasts. The book is part detective story, part bestiary, and is an exploration of the people who make up the inhabitants of the fictional Chinese city of Yong’an. The narrator exhibits a certain playfulness in her approach to life with a simple naivité that, like life itself, often reveals the dark underbelly of what being human really means.

Thank you #NetGalley, #DreamscapeMedia, and #MelvilleHouse for giving me an advanced review copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review. #StrangeBeastsofChina 

RELENTLESS by Jonathan Maberry

I’m a Marvel guy. You probably wonder what that has to do with the latest Joe Ledger tale, RELENTLESS, from Jonathan Maberry. Stick with me, I will get there. Over the years, I have stretched and twisted and turned to many other comic book publishers, but I always came back to my favorite hero—Spider-Man. Even in his darkest days, there was humor and hope, and an overwhelming desire to do what was right—at least in the end. But I have a dark secret. It is the yang to my yin. The shadow that follows that optimism of Peter or Miles or whoever was wearing the webbing. The Dark Knight—Batman. Vengeance, pain, and the noirish sensibilities that bleed from the Dark Knight as he fought, in his own way, for what was right—often at significant cost. I think there is this duality in all of us—warring sides that fight for control. At least that is the way of my life. Batman—the ultimate anti-superhero. Yes, he wears spandex and a mask. And there’s that cape. It makes for great visuals and has saved his life more than a time or two, but in reality, it must cause more problems than it’s worth. And there’s the kernel. Reality. Batman is just a guy. Albeit an extremely rich guy, but he has no superpowers. He must rely upon his training and his tech and a lot of other people despite his innate ability to go it on his own. He is a detective and a vigilante. Over the many years, the writers have brutalized our poor hero in so many ways that I’m sure we have all lost count. He has been beaten, broken, and had to watch so many of his loved ones die horrible deaths. And THAT leads me back to Joe Ledger. He has been on a similar path.

Unlike Batman and his deontological convictions about means, Ledger has no problem killing. In fact, he has made an art of it. Just as we have certainly lost count of the ways the many writers have tortured Batman over the eighty-plus years he has lived (and died), keeping a ledger of all Joe’s kills would be impossible. This is the enormous difference between these two icons of pop culture, but they have much more in common than not. In RELENTLESS, Ledger’s reputation is more than enough to put a bowel-loosing scare into all but the scariest of Joe’s adversaries.

For those of you who are new to this series, you don’t have to have read RAGE, or even the first 10 Ledger books before reading this one. The author always skillfully gives the reader just enough so they are not lost. That said, I would highly recommend busting your piggy bank open and hitting your favorite indy bookstore to purchase all of them—including the anthologies. And if you want a signed copy, I think the good folks at one of Maberry’s favorite haunts, Mysterious Galaxy, might be able to coerce him into signing the whole shebang for you. If you really want a treat, buy the books AND the audiobooks. Ray Porter makes any Joe Ledger book a special treat. The series is a weird science, military thriller that brings to life many of the ghoulies and horrors of your most current nightmares. Be warned. There is a LOT of killing.

RELENTLESS smartly kicks off months after the heart-breaking, soul-crushing events of RAGE. It is dark. It is messy. And it is thrilling. If I had one complaint, it was that this book almost felt too big. At times, reading this one overwhelmed me. There was so much happening with so many characters out of Ledger’s past, present, and do I dare say, the future, that my head was reeling. It was like Maberry took everything bad that ever happened to Joe and everyone left that has done him wrong and told Bug to run them through his super-tech shredder and then did a Dr. Frankenstein on them all for poor Joe. Maberry has a knack for nearly destroying the world and somehow pulling us back from the edge, if only for a few more pages. And he always leaves us wondering dread is next, just as he always leaves us wanting more. This book is RELENTLESS.

Catriona' Wards Latest

THE LAST HOUSE ON NEEDLESS STREET is a dark and twisty tale that deftly stitches together a number of POVs starting with Ted. We are then introduced to his daughter and his cat, among others. We hear their tales of Little Girl with Popsicle, the Teds, the Green Boys, and so much more. It has been called a masterpiece, and rightly so. This sad and terrifying story feels more like a spell. Saying more—even a little—would be an injustice to the reader. Go into this one as if you were exploring the creepy, haunted house at the end of the street. The one that even the bravest fears to tread. The house where the owner could come home at any minute and catch you. 

This is a horror and a thriller. It comes at you with a slow creep—like a dripping water torture, but with acid. That's not to say there are no heartwarming moments. They are there but you have been warned, this novel will niggle and gnaw at the corners of your brains, and purr along at just the right clip until you are feeling nice and comfortable with your darkest fears. That’s when you’ll find that knife in your belly. Buckle up, pilgrims, because Ward is in full control and, believe me, you’ll want someone as skilled and crafty behind the wheel on this inimitable and harrowing ride down Needless Street.

Ted’s story is disturbing on so many levels, but the writer makes it worth it. It is my introduction to Catriona Ward’s writing. This book is a triumph. I cannot wait to see this one brought to the big screen. Andy Serkis will certainly have his hands full with the adaptation. Now, I must away, to find her other novels. 

The audiobook I listened to, narrated by Christopher Ragland, was provided to me courtesy of the publisher, Macmillan Audio, #NetGalley, and the author in exchange for my review. I am thrilled to have been able to get a sneak peek.