9.
Survive The Cursed by Ashton Abbott
This is an eerie nightmare of a book that presents the post-Apocalyptic landscape as a literal Monster Mash.
Avery Winters is part of a group of survivors that hunt for witches, vampires, were creatures, and zombies. It is a fight for survival that becomes more personal when a witch and a vampire are imprisoned and Avery has to guard them.
The book's strongest theme is the line between human and monster. Avery has become detached and jaded in her fight against her adversaries so much that she has lost her humanity. She ignores or takes part in medical experiments and torture sessions. She vows that if one of her people transforms, she would kill them without a second thought.
However her views begin to change the more she talks to her captives Whitney, the witch and Mathias, the vampire. Suddenly the faceless enemies have faces, names, personalities, and histories. She starts to wonder if she had been wrong about who the monsters really are.
This is a gripping and eerie ghostly mystery that reminds us that cold cases don't always close.
News reporter Kara King returns to her hometown to reopen the local paper. At the office, she sees the ghost of Renee West, a reporter who may have been murdered. Kara decides to look for answers.
This book is both ominous and purposeful. Renee begins as a silent wispy presence that gets more pronounced the closer Kara gets to the truth.
Kara’s interactions with Renee show her as a vibrant dedicated woman whose life ended abruptly. Now it's up to Kara to find out who ended it and why.
This sequel to Kaleidoscopic Shades Within Black Eternity, my favorite book read in 2022, limits the widespread perspective of its predecessor to tell a narrow focused streamlined story that is mystifying, unearthly, and uncanny.
A boy disappears in an area known as “The Playground.” The investigator, Ben McLevy is afflicted with disturbing sounds and images. Meanwhile Josh Triplow has visions about a missing friend and feels compelled to go to Australia to find him. This search takes him right to The Playground.
This book thrives on immediate urgency and personal connections to these strange events. These sinister presences are related to the physical and mental torture of children and are a reflections of the hatred and trauma experienced in the past involving the central characters.
The Playground inspires feelings of fear, anxiety, loneliness, and trauma. It is festered with the violent history of the people who lived within and did unspeakable things to others. It's practically a gateway to Hell where if you don't lose your life, you are guaranteed to lose your mind.
This spooky anthology crosses genres to give the Readers a full effect of dark twisted tales that deliver on chills, ominous energy, and unforgettable mental images.
A woman looks for her missing sister who may have been abducted by fairies. A boy is haunted for years by the presence of a menacing demonic clown. Three witches debate about taking the life of their latest potential victim. Three teens become obsessed with The Axeman of New Orleans unsolved mystery.
It combines Traditional Paranormal Horror with Dark Fantasy, Suspense Thriller, Psychological Suspense, and Historical Fiction to give a full view of the different layers that define Horror.
This novella depicts the sinister mysterious Hat Man of recent lore and builds a story around its enigmatic otherworldly presence.
Sadie Burrows and Colton Garrett lost loved ones to this nightmarish creature. They investigate its origins, presence, and ways to face and defeat it.
The Hat Man doesn't just take lives, it destroys the people around the victim. It doesn't just kill physically, it destroys them emotionally by removing those they love the most. This leaves the victim emotionally and mentally vulnerable and helpless when The Hat Man attacks.
This version gives The Hat Man a more violent edge. Instead of frightening people by appearing in their nightmares, it uses more aggressive tactics and unstoppable rage to seek the vengeance and justice after death that it didn't have in life. It's not an understandable or sympathetic character but it was once human and had a history.
This book is a confusing, captivating, surreal look at life beyond death.
Will Deadmarsh is haunted by the demonic presence of his deceased sister. Atra Hart escapes from her paranoid adopted father. The two escape and become involved in experiments to research life after death, particularly The Otherside and its portal, The Altered Planes.
Will and Atra are face to face with spirits that can't be studied or understood. Part of their presence is in defiance of the human arrogance to research and contain them. If they can't be studied or can't be contained, they can't be destroyed or defeated. The only options are to run from them or live with them.
The surrealism can be found in the setting. There are times when the land and nature resist Will and Atra's attempts at normalcy. For example, they go to small towns which are unnervingly silent and devoid of any life but Will and Atra. These experiences leave them vulnerable to those that attack them. Their worst fears are multiplied in the silence.
This is a rich, enchanting, disturbing, complex novel about a witch that is reincarnated over the centuries.
The incarnation that is explored is Merona, the adopted daughter of Mairead, the Druid High Priestess in 5th century Brittany. Merona must be taught to use her powers and to recognize her former and future incarnations so she can fight Armaeus, the most feared Daemon in the entire realm.
Those who are interested in folklore and legends will be fascinated by the abundance of witch lore weaved into narrative. The book is set when Druids were still in high authority but were aware that the transition to Christianity is on its way. They are determined to pass their Pagan knowledge along even if it means hiding underground.
Some of the most fascinating chapters occur during Merona’s training. The flashes of intuition and wisdom from various incarnations become more concrete as she explores her past and future lives. She also expands on her magical abilities by facing tests of elemental magic through earth, fire, air, and water. The final test takes her to the Labyrinth of Shadows where she has to encounter her fears, face her biggest challenges, and embrace her powers to become a potent witch.
This book's setting and tone depicts Hell with all of its overall darkness, graphic violence, scares, and ominous chills coming from every chapter.
Melody is abducted and taken by a demon named Nyx into Hell. She learns that she is the daughter of one of the Fates of Greek Mythology and has to journey through Hell and learn how to see and change destinies before she comes face to face with The King of Hell.
The descriptions of Hell aggravate the senses and the landscape shapes itself to torture those suffering. It is a composite of different mythologies and religions, mostly Abrahamic religions and Hellenic mythology. There are representations of the 7 Deadly Sins and the Titans.
There is a sense of abandonment, hopelessness, and desolation that exists primarily throughout the book as Melody fights the King of Hell. But the outlook is so dismal that there are hints that all that is occurring is one tyrant being overthrown for another.
Anytime a book journeys into Hell, it's bound to produce some graphic Horror images and this book has some of the most disturbing moments produced by supernatural and human characters.
This book uses fantastic and dark elements from Old Testament scripture, Jewish folklore, and European myths and legends to tell a challenging story of mortality, prejudice, Antisemitism, courage, sacrifice, maturity, faith, hatred, vengeance, justice, punishment, and retribution.
Aliza Auerman and her adopted father and sisters are Holocaust survivors trying to adjust to life in the United States. A planned demonstration by a local Antisemitic Holocaust denial group traumatized Aliza so when she receives a visit from Ha-Satan, she accepts his offer to be in charge of one of Hell’s Zones, the zone that contains many of the most prominent Nazis including Hitler himself.
At first the punishments are humorous in a dark twisted comic way and become more grotesque, gruesome, and painful. She soon acquires a sadistic delight in torture. It is a vindication of the horror that was forced upon her by the human monsters that she now leads. Her desire for vengeance is understandable considering the trauma that was inflicted upon her.
Aliza also possesses a conscience that allows for limits. She dials back on punishments doled out to families and doesn't want the Nazis' children to suffer because they had horrible parents. She also questions her role as a Hell Zone Master when another Zone Master shows punishments too severe even for her. There is a connection between her family and one of the Nazis in the other Zone. She has to weigh if vengeance only creates more monsters and if there are limits to hatred.
1931, engaged couple Jack Sullivan and Frances Palmer travel with Frances’ Uncle Sal on a cruise from Australia to the UK. What should be a peaceful luxurious voyage becomes fatal as another passenger is murdered and a new friend is accused of the crime.
This book hearkens back to the early mysteries where stylish, sharp couples are often surrounded by dead bodies and the worst of human nature and use their wit and observation to save the day. Frances is an outgoing, spirited, vivacious assistant to her magician uncle. Her natural charm and empathy draws people to her and her working class street smart savviness gives her a common sense outlook and knowledge of human nature.
Jack is a staid, steady organized nightclub owner. He has a paternal demeanor and wartime experiences that help him understand the troubles that others go through. His sharp intellect, dry wit, and managerial skills allow him to put the details together to find a solution. The couples' strengths balance each other out in their personal and professional lives, whether they are solving mysteries or having a night out with each other.
This is an enthralling character driven Crime Thriller about an assassin whose heart and emotions put her career on the line.
Delia Cahill is a happily married successful attorney who is also a high priced and deadly assassin. Her latest assignment, Alexander Thorne, proves to be quite a challenge since she has fallen in love with him.
Delia straddles the lines between consummate professional and romantic heroine and plays both extremes rather well. She's like a black widow spider or praying mantis attracting her captive before destroying him. She is so deliciously fun, that it would have been nice to see more aspects of this side of her character.
Mostly we see her when she realizes that her job isn't what she thought. After she falls in love with Alexander, her former employers go through extreme measures to break her, treating her the same way that she treated her targets. Delia lived a life of violence and tried to live without a conscience. It worked until her conscience overpowered her.
This Spy Thriller combines the flashy colorful adventure of an Ian Fleming James Bond novel with the duplicitous realistic tension of a John LeCarre George Smiley novel.
In 1965, orphaned James Vagus is recruited to join MIS-X a secret organization which recruits young spies. James is partnered with Dakota Walker and his first assignment to trail a corrupt East German businessman to a conspiracy involving a manufactured killer virus.
James and Dakota are spies with all of the gorgeous locations, beautiful people, cool toys, vehicles, and gadgets, and daring narrow escapes. However, there is also an awareness that the governments can't always be trusted, even the ones they work for, that agents can be quickly betrayed, and murder is never far away.
There is a seedy underside to this seemingly glamorous exciting world. It is a seedy underside in which young adults in their late teens whose brains haven't fully developed are being thrown into and expected to survive. Characters are betrayed, deceived, tortured, and murdered. The bond between James and Dakota is the only real honest thing in the entire book.
This is a modern day Neo-Noir Murder Mystery with a seedy location, troubled detective, ineffective or corrupt authorities, powerful and dangerous men and women in suits, and innocents who get swept up in a dangerous life that they are unprepared for.
Lee Jensen, an Australian PI exiled in Bangkok is hired to look for Zoe Burgess who goes missing after working as a jazz singer in a nightclub. Lee learns that she was kidnapped, trafficked, drugged, and forced into sex work. Now Lee has to find her while facing the Yakuza who play a large part in her current situation.
There is a hard boiled detective edge to the novel. Lee goes through various clubs, businesses, and hangouts, encounters many unsavory characters, and isn't above bribery or using force to get answers. It's a dark world made even darker by the presence of its protagonist.
He knows this world because he has to live not just in his job but in his mind and body. He is Schizophrenic and his hallucinations and delusions are kept at bay by his meds. This makes him vulnerable at times particularly when he is held captive by the Yakuza and is deprived of his medication. He is not just surrounded by enemies outside, but enemies in his mind that threaten to destroy and annihilate him from within.
This novella is a short but tight Crime Thriller about a rich aristocrat with a very dangerous side.
Edward Kenworthy is a rich playboy who is also a serial killer. When Edward's latest conquest is reported missing, the trail appears right at his doorstep and his collection of dead bodies won't be hidden for long.
There isn't a moment in this book that is wasted because of its short length and tense plot. It tells a fascinating psychological thriller by taking multiple points of view of the murders, coverups, investigation, accusations, evidence gathering, arrest, and trial.
Edward makes a charismatic manipulative and terrifying killer reminiscent of an Alfred Hitchcock character who hides a sinister veneer under wealth and privilege. He thinks that his wealth and privilege will keep him from facing retribution until he runs out of allies and protection.
5.
The Matriarch Matrix/ The Matriarch Messiah (Mystery of The Matriarchs Book 1 and 2) By Maxine TrencavelThis series has a compelling protagonist with a shaky love life and who possesses brilliance, physical toughness, and a morally gray philosophical outlook on life. However each volume includes antagonists who are captivating, stimulating, and often the most fascinating aspects of the books.
FBI linguist turned special agent Richard O'Brien gets involved in a series of murders that often begin as connections to minor crime such as cyber fraud, lab theft, or wine smuggling. They then lead to conspiracies involving warring nations, government conspiracies, and organized crime.
O’Brien is a good lead for this series. He is an anti hero who respects the law but isn't above bending some rules. He has a complicated love life that carries over into multiple volumes. He has a close Irish Catholic family which takes center stage in the first book when they are caught in the crossfire of O’Brien’s investigation. He is put in some difficult situations that reveal his vulnerabilities especially when he is held captive by his enemies.
Many of the antagonists are brilliantly written from the genius con artist, Jelani, to the enigmatic terrorist cell leader The Professor, to chameleon like DNA thief Emma, to the wealthy conniving Spence, to the hapless stand up comedian/Yakuza inductee Jack. Each character has a story to tell about why they committed the crimes, the means of doing so, what they hoped to gain, and how they planned to get away. They aren't characters to root for but they are fascinating and understandable.
3.
Unlike many Murder Mysteries that star witches the emphasis on this one is not on magic but on mystery. It is a realistic Murder Mystery that stars a woman who happens to be a witch.
The body of a former high school acquaintance of Arista’s, a witch and New Age shop associate, is found. Arista and her friends try to find out what happened. Arista uses her intuition and spiritual connections to investigate the truth.
This book shows how witches operate in the real world. It is not based on amazing special effect driven magical things happening or communicating with creepy demons and wise cracking ghosts. The rituals, tools, and intuition are based on belief, focus, and intention.
This realistic look also spills into the antagonists. Instead of wizards, vampires, and demons, Arista has to face criminals that are all too human. They have sick perverted minds over how they think the world should be and who they have to hurt. They have violent destructive impulses, no respect for those around them, and dehumanizing views of their victims.
This is a short but captivating History retold in novella form about a notorious Renaissance era family, the Baglionis, that faced a violent and bloody attack after a wedding of Astor Baglioni and Lavinia Colonna Orsini.
