REVIEW: The Catacombs

 The Catacombs
Author: Jeremy Bates

Ever since I saw a segment of The Scariest Places on Earth on television decades ago that told an urban legend about a video camera found in the Catacombs under Paris, I have been just a bit obsessed with the tunnels filled with the bones of 7 million people. So of course I wanted to read this book! Plus the name of this series by Jeremy Bates is...World's Scariest Places. Definitely made me nostalgic for that old Halloween season show hosted by Linda Blair!

The basics: Will is in Paris on assignment with the travel magazine where he works. He's trying to rebound from a dramatic breakup and a death in his family. He decides to venture into the Paris Catacombs with a couple of Cataphiles (urban explorers who venture into the tunnels or lead groups into them). It's more than a little scary venturing down into the dark depths that are filled with the bony remains of millions of people. Little do they realize it isn't the dead they have to be afraid of....

This book was more interesting than scary. It had a bit of different vibe from The Suicide Forest, the first book in this series. The Suicide Forest had more scary parts to it....and a faster pace.  This book has a slower pace and seemed more psychological than scary. It took awhile for anything to really start happening to the group in the tunnels....but when it did, it was creepy! 

I listened to the audio book version of this story. Narrated by Lynn Roberts, the audio is a bit over 9 hours long. Roberts has a nice voice, and did a good job of voice acting. All in all, an entertaining listen. 

Definitely listening to/reading more of this series! 

REVIEW: Ethel Rosenberg

 Ethel Rosenberg
Author: Anne Sebba

In 1953, Julius and Ethel Rosenberg were executed for espionage. They met their fate in the electric chair just minutes apart. Over the decades since, it has been speculated that the evidence against Ethel was weak, and that others gave evidence against her to save themselves from prosecution. Anne Sebba obviously thoroughly researched Ethel -- her life, her choices, her personality, love for her two sons, the life of a woman that ended in a public spectacle trial and execution brought on by fear of communism. Was Ethel guilty of being a spy, aiding and abetting spies, or helping pass information to the Russians? Sebba presents the facts she discovered during her research and then, for the most part, leaves readers to make their own conclusions. 

I'm not sure of my opinions on a case that was concluded 15 years before my birth. In the past the 1950's were idealized as some sort of a perfect family time, a peaceful happy time following WWII  -- but the reality is much more dark. There was prevailing racism, sexism, political witch hunts, antisemitism, just a prevailing cesspool of garbage thought and shitty ideals. I don't have enough of the facts in this case to actually form an opinion on the trial and execution of the Rosenbergs. Until I read this book and started doing side research of my own to learn more about the case, I had no idea there was another defendant, Morton Sobell, and that others were jailed for obstruction and other charges during the case. All that was ever mentioned in history books when I was in school was that Julius and Ethel Rosenberg were executed for espionage and passing nuclear secrets to the Russians along with verbage about the evils of Communism. 

Were the Rosenbergs guilty? I'd have to do a lot more research to have a firm opinion. But I do know Author Anne Sebba, and many others, believe that Ethel was not. I do know that the aftermath for her children was horrific -- they were left orphaned because family members refused to take them in. There is a documentary on HBOMax, Heir to an Execution, made by the Rosenberg's granddaughter about the execution and its aftermath. Did the Rosenbergs have have activist, fringe political beliefs....yes.  As many did back then....as many did in later years....as many do now. But were they -- or Ethel in particular -- spies? Or were they victims of McCarthyism?

Very interesting book that evoked many different emotions for me. I definitely want to read and learn more about this case. 

The Audiobook version of this book was narrated by Orlagh Cassidy. She did a phenomenal job. Her reading pace was perfect. Her voice is easy to listen to. And she put the right amount of emotion into it. Very well done. 

**I voluntarily read an ARC of this book from St Martins Press, and listened to a review audiobook from MacMillan Audio. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**

REVIEW: Live and Let Chai

 Live and Let Chai
Author: Bree Baker

Everly Swann is back in Charm, NC after a bad break-up. She's looking forward to a new start. Opening a sweet tea shop inside her new home to help cover the mortgage, she just wants to move on with life. But town politics, a grouchy councilman, and a murder start things off on a rocky road. Can she prove she isn't a killer? 

I live in NC, so I really love cozies set in my home state! This cozy is set at the NC coast near Nag's Head. The island town is fictitious, but the general area (Nag's Head, Kitty Hawk) is all real. And lovely! My favorite place to go to the beach! 

The mystery is nicely paced. It kept me guessing until the end. I like the characters, especially Lou the gull and Maggie the cat. :) Everly is a determined main character. She does the best she can in a bad situation. And like most main characters in cozy mysteries her amateur sleuthing gets her into trouble with the local detective and the killer. 

I listened to the audio book version of this story. The audio is just shy of 9 hours long...nice listening length. It kept me company on my commute to and from work for several days! Therese Plummer narrates. She does an excellent job of bringing the story and characters to life! 

I had to smile as Everly discussed sweet tea multiple times throughout the book. The character stressed how important and special it is in the south to be able to brew sweet tea just right -- not too sweet and never bitter, etc.  And that is perfectly true. Sweet tea is a staple in the south. One I do not enjoy myself. I was born in the midwest...so I find southern sweet tea gaggingly sweet and nasty. Where I come from iced tea is served unsweet, maybe with lemon or mint and the drinker sweetens their own or drinks it plain. For me, southern tea tastes like sugar with a little bit of tea added. Terrible stuff. When I first moved to NC almost 20 years ago, asking for unsweet tea at a restaurant got you blank stares and mumbled apologies that it wasn't available. Now, unsweet tea is served everywhere. I do remember being very very confused as a fresh transplant that people just assumed you wanted a huge dose of sugar already mixed in your drink....lol. In the midwest nobody would presume to presweeten or put additives in anybody's drink....it would be considered rude. Sweet tea was quite the memorable dose of culture shock! 

I love tea -- I have a extensive tea stash and brew myself a cuppa several times a day. I read this book as part of a book club with other tea lovers. This was a fun tea themed cozy! The story definitely had enough suspense to keep my attention and I like the characters!

I enjoyed this book and will definitely be reading more of this series! 

REVIEW: Horrors Next Door

 Horrors Next Door
Author: Tom Coleman

 Short story collections are my favorite way to enjoy horror stories. Varied plots, different types of scares, and the faster pace of shorter tales....love it! This is the first book by Tom Coleman that I've read and couldn't wait to find out what he had in his horror arsenal to creep me out with! I enjoyed every story in this collection! Glad I read it! 

There are 15 stories in this collection. I guarantee there will be something to delight every horror fan. My favorite is The House Next Door....a creepy little story in four parts. 

I will definitely be reading more by this author! Very entertaining and creepy story collection!

REVIEW: A Lonely World Where the People are Blue

 A Lonely World Where the People Are Blue
Author: Rey S. Morfin

Not really a story I could get into. Could have been because I didn't like the narrator...monotone, lackluster voice acting. She has a nice voice and accent though! Just not a good performance. Might have liked the story better with a different narrator. Audio quality was low too .... lots of hiss/background noise and several spots where editing was needed (most were mistakes by narrator that were obviously supposed to be edited out as she repeated the paragraph or dialogue again...but the mistakes were left in).

I could see where the author was going with this story....but for me it just never got there. Since it was short, I did finish. But if it had been a longer audio book, I would have dnf'd it.

Others may love this. It was just not a story for me, and too many problems with the audio. Not every story is for every listener/reader. This one is not for me.

REVIEW: Make Them Pay

 Make Them Pay
Curators: Craig Martelle, Robyn Sarty

Justice. Sweet revenge. Karma. Retribution. Payback. Whatever you want to call it....this story anthology brings it! 

I love short story collections that introduce new-to-me authors! This anthology has 22 stories in it on the theme of justice. Some of the authors are familiar from free novellas I have downloaded....some from online author events (like Michele PW who just participated in a Horror writers event), but most were new to me! 

The stories are: 

System Failure by MK Farrar - A dad on a dark mission. 
Innocence Lost by DK Greene - It all started with a forgotten teddy bear. 
The Ninth Man by Jeff Shelby - Eight down. One to go. 
The Last Assignment by Douglas Dorow - Stevens & Rupert. More than a man and his dog.
Mine by Michele PW - What's "mine" is.....yours?
No Reason by Steve Davison -  British Intelligence vs psychopath
Death and Dollars by Jonathan Shipperley - "Boom, Motherfucker."
Sasquatch Hunting by Kes McDaniel - Armed robbery done Sasquatch style.
An Inside Job by Ian Sainsbury - When Bedlam Boy shows up, bad people die. 
A Dance with Death by Drew Avera - Desperation Kills. 
Cross Your Heart by G.K. Parks - All in a Day's Work....yikes!
Rats by JR Pomerantz - Ravi has rats in his pants. Could the day get worse? Yep.
The Silent One by Jack Probyn - One shot. Just one shot. 
Super Something by John Hindmarsh - Don't try to fool Penny. You can't. 
Getting the Wind by Stephen Couch - You don't have to be young to have secrets....
Straight Flight by Arleigh Jacobs - Colt knows a little girl always needs her Teddy bear!
The Package by N Gray - Deliver a package. Easy....right?
Temptress by Fallon Raynes - One heist too many....shoulda got out of town sooner.
Lane Departure by Tom Fowler - A trip to the store goes south fast.
Hunting Darkness by A.K. Hughey - Lucia vs. traffickers
The First Hit by Craig Martelle - You never forget your first. 
Loathsome Justice by M.A. Comley - The bad guys aren't going to see the light of day ever again.

There wasn't a single story in this collection that I didn't enjoy reading. The characters and plots are varied and I enjoyed the fast-paced action in each.  Several of these writers are new-to-me, and I always love finding new authors to read! 

Great collection! 

REVIEW: Shudders

Ten Tales Calculated to Give You: Shudders
Editor: Ross J. Olney

Shudders gathers 10 classic creepy stories by a mix of British and American writers. When I saw Robert Bloch's name in the mix twice, I knew I had to read this book! And I'm glad I did! I enjoyed every single story!

This book, first published in 1972 and re-printed in 1979, is out of print. But I did find a Nook ebook version with an updated cover for sale at Barnes & Noble, plus many used copies available online. 

The stories included are: 

Sweets to the Sweet by Robert Bloch
The Waxwork by A. M. Burrage
Used Car by H. R. Wakefield
The Inexperienced Ghost by H.G. Wells
The Whistling Room by William Hope Hodgson
The Last Drive by Carl Jacobi
The Monkey's Paw by W.W. Jacobs
Second Night Out by Frank Belknap Long
The Hills Beyond Furcy by Robert G. Anderson
The Floral Tribute by Robert Bloch

My favorite of the collection is a story I've read many times in one form or another and even seen adapted for television -- The Monkey's Paw. Great story! But...all the stories were good. I liked the fact that they were varied...no two stories are along the same theme. Everything from witches to sea monsters! Fun! 

Very entertaining collection of stories!

REVIEW: A Terrifying Taste of Short & Shivery

 A Terrifying Taste of Short & Shivery
Author: Robert D. Sans Souci

I love this series of horror tales for kids! Short & Shivery is always fun, entertaining and just a bit creepy! The tales are scary without being TOO scary -- definitely middle grade age appropriate. This book gathers 30 folklore and creepy tales from around the world. 

Usually when I read a book like this, the stories are ones I've heard before, just rewritten and polished up a bit. But this time, many of these stories were new to me! Loved it! 

There are several illustrations in the book by Lenny Wooden. The drawings are simple black and white, but really add an edge to the stories. There's just something extra creepy about a scary story....with pictures! And the cover art is awesome! 

I love these old creepy books for kids -- always reminds me of book orders when I was in school! If the order blank ever included a story anthology like this one, I always ordered a copy! Loved stuff like this back then...and still do!

REVIEW: 13 Ghosts - Strange But True Stories

 13 Ghosts: Strange But True Stories
Author: Will Osborne

Published in 1988, this book gathers 13 stories based on historical legends of haunted houses and other creepy places around the world. Borley Rectory. The Tulip Stairs. Even a haunted German submarine. The stories are varied, creepy and entertaining! The book is written for middle grade students, so the tales are creepy but not TOO creepy. 

I love reading these old OOP Scholastic books - makes me nostalgic for when my kids were younger and we read stories like this out loud. Or, even further back, when I ordered books like this for myself on those awesome school book order sheets! 

I enjoyed the stories in this book! Most are stories I have heard before, but some were new to me. Each story is only a few pages long, so reluctant readers who love ghost stories would enjoy this book. I could see it being free-range reading for a classroom in the fall, or just as a fun read for kids (and adults) who enjoy slightly creepy haunting tales based on supposedly true ghost stories. 

This was a quick, very enjoyable read! I love ghost stories, and these tales were very entertaining! The cover art work is wonderful! 

This book is Out of Print, but used copies are readily available online. 

REVIEW: The Loch

 The Loch
Author: Steve Alten

I grabbed this audio book on sale because I love, love, love (love x 10) monster stories....and only after I bought it did I realize the story is by the author who wrote The Meg series. Then I was really excited -- I really enjoyed The Meg! Sometimes it takes me awhile to get to a new audio book (and sometimes they get lost in the shuffle of my TBR and I forget I even have them!)....not this time! I started listening to this story immediately! Steve Alten + Loch Ness = awesome story! 

The basics: Following an accident during a scientific expedition, Marine Biologist Zachary Wallace finds himself battling night terrors and a fear of the water. As his career begins to implode, Zachary's life is further upended when he hears from his long estranged father in Scotland. In a strange twist of events, Zachary finds himself investigating a series of strange attacks on Loch Ness. Has Nessie decided to become a dangerous, people-eating cryptid? 

Great story. Interesting characters. Lots of action and suspense. I loved it! 

The audio book is just over 15 hours long and narrated by P.J. Ochlan. Ochlan gives a great voice acting performance -- even does a great job at all the Scottish accents! Very entertaining listen!

REVIEW: Library of the Dead

 Library of the Dead
Author: T.L. Huchu

Ropa is a ghost talker. She delivers messages from the dead to their living family members in Edinburgh for a fee. If the ghost can't pay the fee, she delivers the message and collects the fee from the living. It's a living....and she does her best to avoid shakedowns from police and other common problems when dealing the dark, magical underbelly of Edinburgh. But then she learns that something evil is harming children, leaving them broken, empty and drained. Ropa will have to gather her wits and all of the magical knowledge her grandmother has imparted to her to figure out what is going on and prevent becoming a victim herself. 

I love Ropa as a main character! She is scrappy and very street smart. Her grandmother is also an amazing character. Those two really make this book something special! The mix of magic, different cultures, and the supernatural really held my interest from start to finish! 

I had an ARC ebook and a review copy of the audio book. I read portions, listened to others, and at times did both at the same time. Tinashe Warikandwa narrates the audio book. She does a superb job! The audio is just over 8 hours long, so a nice listening length. Not too short....not too long. The narrator did an excellent job bringing all the characters to life, especially Ropa. Very entertaining listen! 

This is the first book by T. L. Huchu that I've read. I'm definitely looking forward to reading more by this author. 

**I voluntarily read a review copy of this book (and listened to a review audio book) from Tor and Macmillan Audio. All opinions expressed are entirely my own**

REVIEW: The Skeleton Tree

 The Skeleton Tree
Author: Diane Janes

I love suspenseful stories that take the every-day and turn it into something extraordinary and disturbing. Wendy Thornton dreamed of an old house that she couldn't afford. She dreamed of renovating it for her family, making it their own. Then miraculously she was suddenly able to afford the home that was out of their price range....  That's when the dream started to become a nightmare. 

This book wasn't what I expected. I thought it was going to be the story of a creepy house. Instead, it was more about a bad marriage, family dysfunction, broken dreams, obsession, hidden secrets.... Pretty heavy stuff. The story dragged a bit in places, but I stayed right with it...I wanted to know what happened to the characters. I have to say that most of the main cast are totally self-absorbed and unlikeable. But that's kind of the point, really. 

I didn't see the end coming. That fact impressed me the most. 

I enjoyed this book, even though it was not at all what I expected. It's the first book by Diane Janes that I've read. I'm definitely going to read more of her writing. I like her style. This story surprised me...and I look forward to reading more!

**I voluntarily read a review copy of this book from Severn House. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**