Charles F. French’s Gallows Hill, book 2 in the Investigative Paranormal Society is here to give you a Halloween fright today.

What Amazon says

History always makes an impact on the present. Retired homicide detective Sam Sadlowski faces his personal history and fears as well as living and dead enemies.

My review

Gallows Hill is the second book in The Investigative Paranormal Society series. I have read the first book, Maledicus, so I was engaged with the characters in this book before I started it. In Maledicus, I quickly became very attached to the main character, Roosevelt or Rosy to his friends, and also to Helena, the little girl who becomes the focus of Maledicus’ evil intentions.

In this second book, a different member of the society is central to the story and we get an opportunity to learn the backstory of Sam which, intriguingly, ties in with the central themes and story of Gallows Hill.

Sam is a retired detective who lost his only son, Josh, to suicide ten years earlier. His son’s death destroyed his marriage and Sam lives alone. He has never recovered from Josh’s suicide and carries a burden of guilt that is threatening to destroy him.

The author is exceptionally good at character building and his depiction of Sam and his emotions and motivations are captivating. I quickly grew to love Sam and was thoroughly invested in his life.

The story has a dual theme, the first being the chronic illness of his friend and colleague’s daughter, Maria, and the ultimate revelation of the circumstances surrounding Josh’s death and the second, is the investigation by the society of rumours of a ghostly presence at an abandoned steel mill on the outskirts of town. The two themes are cleverly woven together to create a satisfying and clever story.

The ghostly presence, Ebeneezer Schwarznacht, is horribly depraved and his portrayal was reminiscent for me of the men behind the Salem witch trials. I find the evil embodied in this type of personality, pious and self righteous, is far more frightening than the concept of a demon as it represents real people and real happens rather than fantasy. It is chilling to think of killers who are totally entrenched in their belief that they have a divine right to judge others and take away their lives.

The author does a great job of running the two themes in parallel with clever overlaps and then tying them both together with some great twists at the end.

This is an excellent and chilling story and I would recommend this book to lovers of horror and supernatural stories.

Amazon US purchase link: https://www.amazon.com/Gallows-Hill-Investigative-Paranormal-Society-ebook/dp/B078STYMS8

Sarah by Teri Polen has drawn the short horror straw today.

What Amazon says

“The writing style and general creepiness reminded me of Diary of a Haunting, which I would recommend to anyone who enjoyed this book.” –Barnes and Noble Booksellers

Seventeen-year-old horror fan Cain Shannon thought helping a ghost find her killers would be the supernatural adventure of a lifetime. Now, he just hopes to survive long enough to protect his family and friends from her.

A bet between friends goes horribly wrong, resulting in Sarah’s death. When she returns to seek justice against those responsible, Cain agrees to help her. But when he discovers Sarah has been hijacking his body, he realizes she wants retribution instead of justice.

Terrified of what could have happened when he wasn’t in control, Cain commands Sarah to leave his house – but exorcising her isn’t that easy. She retaliates against her murderers in bloody, horrific ways, each death making her stronger, then sets her sights on Cain. With the help of friends, Cain fights to save himself and his loved ones and searches for a way to stop Sarah before she kills again.

My review

I listened to the audio book of Sarah by Teri Polen. I thought the reader did a good job and narrated the story at a good pace and with sufficient expression and interest factor to keep the listener engaged.

I thought this book was really creepy. It is a YA book and the characters are all older teenagers which I think worked well for this plot as teenagers, particularly males, do not see risk and are likely to react to situations with a lot more bravado than an adult would in the same circumstances. The almost underhanded and devious way the ghost of Sarah, a murdered school girl, introduces herself to Cain, a jock with a kind heart, lets you know in a subtle way right up front that this is not a particularly friendly ghost and that there is more to her than initially meets the eye. 

Cain has assumed the role of man of the house after the death of his father and is protective of his Mother and much younger sister. His compassion, youth and naivety does not stand him good stead in identifying the potential threat posed by Sarah although, as he finds out more about her death, he gradually realises that she is after retribution against her killers and is not looking for help to move on from her current status.

The author’s descriptions of Sarah as she becomes more and more evil and travels further down the path of revenge are very vivid and disturbing. Sarah’s evil thoughts and deeds are reflected in her ghostly face and form. 

Fortunately for Cain, he has good friends on his side in the form of Finn, an intelligent and clear minded childhood friend, and Lindsey, a lovely young lady with an aunt who deals in the occult and is able to provide talismans and assistance in fighting Sarah as she becomes more deranged and angry. The clairvoyant aunt was a bit convenient but I did not detract from the story for me.

Amazon US purchase link: https://www.amazon.com/Sarah-Teri-Polen/dp/1612967914

Terri’s Sunday Stills photo prompt is textures. You can join in here: https://secondwindleisure.com/2023/10/08/sunday-stills-can-you-feel-the-textures/

Colleen’s 24 seasons syllabic poetry challenge continues. You can join in here: https://tankatuesday.com/2023/10/10/24-seasons-syllabic-poetry-challenge-no-3-10-10-23/

Sun King

Sun

King Pin

Dominates

Arid bushveld

Sucking up moisture

Red dust accentuates

his violent rays; Giving

him multiple hazy haloes

Each a badge of regal dominance

Ensuring slaves remain subjugated

Kigo words = violent rays; arid

Sun fun

Animals gather at watering holes

Gulping great drafts of cooling liquid

Elephants rubbing shoulders with

giraffes, rhinos and zebras

Tolerating sharing

Water sprays upward

Followed by dust

Protective

Sun screen

Helps

Kigo word = sun screen

This is one grubby ellie:

Contributor

Delicate fragrance

Beckons hard working insects

Roses contribute

To nature’s great tableaux

Adding colour and nectar

Kigo word = roses

One for the road:

Today’s choice is The Long Walk by Richard Bachman.

What Amazon says

On the first day of May, 100 teenage boys meet for a race known as “The Long Walk.” If you break the rules, you get three warnings. If you exceed your limit, what happens is absolutely terrifying…

My review

I read this book [for the second time] with my eyes wide open as to its disturbing dystopian content. I have been reading Stephen King and Richard Bachman books since I was ten years old and I am well aware of the different writing intentions and outcomes between King writing as himself and King writing as Richard Bachman.

This book is exceedingly dark in a way the the King books cannot, in my view, ever match. The reason for this is that The Long Walk depicts a dystopian future world and circumstance that are horrifyingly possible.

The Long Walk is set in the not to distant future, in a world where the overpopulation and employment issues we are currently facing have not been addressed and there are [presumably] millions of young people who are facing uncertain futures in lowly paid and boringly competitive jobs. In order to distract the public from its largely miserable existence a national walking marathon has been introduced to amuse the masses. This annual walk, which is televised and attended by millions of spectators, involves a walk to the last man standing [i.e. the death] by 100 participating teenage boys. In much the same way as the Roman gladiators who entertained the crowds during the days of the Roman Empire, participants of the Long Walk are expected to die with the main difference in this being that the participant’s entering willingly and are young enough to effectively disbelieve in the reality of death.

The book centres around one main character, Ray, and his circle of acquaintances, which develop into deep friendships, over the course of the walk. The walk starts off with all of the boys believing in their own strength and abilities and filled with enthusiasm and tracks the breakdowns of their individual physical and mental health as the walk progresses. The disillusionment of early deaths due to unexpected complaints like charley horses, falls, nose bleeds and illness, are starkly and emotionally depicted as the reality of the proximity of death seeps into each boys mind.

I am most intrigued by dark psychological horrors and this book fits squarely into that category and I found the mental journey that Ray undertakes fascinating and chilling. The ending was appropriate although a bit unexpected for me. Possibly, deep in my mind, I still believe in happy endings and it is disturbing to discover that this is not always the case. If fact, in life, it is frequently not the case and that understanding hit me a bit like a club.

An excellent book which does not rely on the tools of supernatural mythology to make its point.

Amazon US purchase link: https://www.amazon.com/Long-Walk-Stephen-King-ebook/dp/B018ER7IPK

Today, I am delighted to showcase Harmony Kent’s post-apocalyptic novel, Fallout.

What Amazon says

WHEN EVERYTHING FALLS APART, WHAT CAN YOU DO?

The year is 3040.

The location is Exxon 1, part of a six-planet system in settled space.

Determined to avoid the mistakes of old Earth, the surviving humans avoided democracy and opted, instead, for a non-elective totalitarian system.

The new way worked well, until now.

A crazy, despotic president releases a nano-virus on the population.

No one was ready for the fallout. It came anyway.

In this post-apocalyptic world, can you stay safe?

Praise for FALLOUT:

‘If you like dark, dangerous, and a little bit demented, this is the novel for you.’ … Staci Troilo

‘Fallout by Harmony Kent is a dark, gritty, twisted apocalyptic story guaranteed to keep you on the edge of your seat.’… Mae Clair

My review

Fallout is a dystopian novel which reflects a future world where technology has become such an integral part of society and human life that people rely on implants to advise them on every aspect of their daily life from judging human nature to security to undertaking work tasks. People work and live in zones together with others who have similar jobs, lifestyles and capabilities to their own.

When a disruption, on the form of a virus, impacts on the smooth routine of peoples lives, they find themselves struggling to pick up the pieces without the continuous flow of information from their implants. Only those who can get their wits together quickly can survive in the new lawless society. In addition, avoidance of contamination by the virus is also a necessary requirement for survival and that makes life even more complex, especially for the unwary who are conditioned by their past lifestyles.

We first meet Priya wondering around an unknown zone, having fled her own when it becomes impossible for her to continue to live in her apartment in the aftermath of the societal breakdown caused by the virus. Priya falls prey to an unscrupulous band of infected men who violently abuse her and leave her for dead. She is found by a member of the ruling political party’s military personal who is on a quest to find an antidote to the virus. Despite his reservations, Kaleb is compelled to save Priya and, by doing so, changes the course of his life and the search he is conducting. The antidote is believed to have been in the possession of a female scientist, on the wife of the second in command to the president, when her helipad exploded, purportedly killing her and losing the only vial containing the antidote at the same time.

On Exxon 1, the planet where the virus is raging out of control, nothing is as it seems as the power hungry and malevolent president seems to have plans of his own which none of his leadership are aware of.

I enjoyed Priya’s journey from a naive and ill informed woman with no survival skills into a strong woman with great empathy and excellent leadership skills. Kaleb is a dark and brooding character with a painful background and a lot of inner turmoil. His path in the book is not an easy one and is heart rending to watch unfurl.

The other supporting characters in the book are well described and interesting. The growth in the female characters makes for compelling reading as they evolve into mature women, capable over overcoming their past hurts and moving forward into leadership roles.

The fast pace does not slow for a moment and the reader is riveted by the action, subterfuge and often ill advised actions of many of the characters who have suffered at the hands of the government and administration.

I would certainly recommend this book for lovers of dystopia and science fiction with strong female role models.

Amazon US purchase link: https://www.amazon.com/FALLOUT-Post-Apocalyptic-Novel-Harmony-Kent-ebook/dp/B07S6PJ3L2

I have taken a rather an expansive interpretation of Reena’s challenge this week. The prompt I chose is One of Us is Lying. You can join in here: https://reinventionsreena.wordpress.com/2023/10/05/reenas-xploration-challenge-301/

My poem is a shadorma

Life lesson

We can learn

From animal friends

Deception

An unknown

Together they all sustain

The cycle of life

My husband and I have been away in the bush viewing animals. It was wonderful and we saw so many amazing animals. I love the way elephants look out for each other and their young. Here are a few pictures:

This behaviour of elephants looking out for each other is very apparent in this video. You can see the sentinels.

A Walk in the Woods and other short stories is my Halloween book choice for today.

What Amazon says

An autumnal stroll through the woods, colourful leaves crunching underfoot, the air fresh on the face, laughter and lightness portraying a happy mother and daughter scene. But something isn’t right…

A young boy who thought he knew his parents finds out that he doesn’t know them at all.

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to die and then to look down upon yourself?

These are just a few of the scenes and scenarios found in A Walk In The Woods and other short stories. There are stories to make you smile, tales to bring a tear and stories to shock as well as delight.

Following the success of The Siege and other award winning stories, penned under the name Esther Newton, Freelance writer, copyeditor and Writers Bureau tutor, Esther Chilton brings you her second short story collection. You’ll find plenty of prize-winning stories throughout, as well as some new tales to enjoy.

My review

A Walk In The Woods: and other short stories is an entertaining and intriguing collection that clearly demonstrates the extensive creative abilities of the author.

The stories cover a range of genres from those that relate the spectrum of human emotion to ghosts and the supernatural.

A walk in the Woods is a heart wrenching tale of human loss. My favourite description in the book is included in this story “She laughs, a melodious chuckle bubbling in her throat.”;

Jake sets out the anguish experienced by a boy whose mother is accused of murdering his father and who must come to terms with the reality of his father’s behaviour towards his family;

Book Lovers is a unique tale about obsessive compulsive behaviour and raises awareness that this condition may not be that unusual;

The Letter is a short peak into the sadness of dementia;

The Blue Balloon is a story of a mother’s anguish and hope’s vindication;

The Brat was one of my favourite stories in the collection. The tale of an older sibling’s journey towards discovering the joy of a new sibling;

The Strangest Parents on Earth is an entertaining science fiction story about acceptance and making the best of situations;

Dead is about abuse and retribution;

The Godfather is a story of the rescue of a boy that has been attacked and beaten with a most unusual twist;

The Battle is a story of bravery in the face of great adversity;

William is all about loss, fear, deception and forgiveness told from the perspective of a child;

Operation Flora gives the reader insights into the recognition of a serious life mistake and the path taken to rectify the error before it is too late;

A Walk in the Park is a delightful tale of love lost and found;

The Secret Diary of Marvin Martin aged 14 1/2 demonstrates how everything in life is not always as it appears from the outside;

The Lover is a fresh interpretation of the old saying “Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.”;

The Dark Place is an excellent depiction of the injustices of the past, particularly for women in a patriarchal world;

Home is about a care giver who despises her charges and must undertake her own journey to gain understanding of the inevitability of old age;

Spaceman Sam is most intriguing as this story could have had a much darker ending than it did. Mother’s need to keep an eye on their children and be disciplined about their time spent gossiping in public places;

If Only shares insights into the psychological complexities of arranged marriages for women who have lived in Western countries where people chose their own life partners; and

Gus was another favourite story of mine. It tell the tale of an elderly man who dies an accidental death and becomes a ghost. Having failed, in his opinion, to have achieved success in any area of living, Gus discovers that as a ghost he has a very special skill.

I highly recommend this excellent collection of different and well written short stories.

Amazon US purchase link: https://www.amazon.com/Walk-Woods-other-short-stories-ebook/dp/B07PVW27CC

Everett is the first book in the Brooke Walton series. Brooke Walton brings a completely new meaning to the concept of a serial killer.

What Amazon says

From Amazon bestselling author Jenifer Ruff—a dark suspense thriller featuring a fascinating, twisted protagonist. The Brooke Walton series will make you wonder just how well you know your friends, neighbors, and classmates. Fans of James Patterson, Karin Slaughter, Hannibal Lecter, the Dexter series, and Gone Girl will be hooked.
At Everett, perfection has a dark side…. Brooke is a highly-motivated coed at prestigious Everett College. She is determined to graduate number one in her class, get accepted at a top medical school, and become a surgeon. Everything is going according to plan, although she’s not sure what to do about Ethan, an attractive guy who would like to be more than friends. Her classmates and professors are captivated by her achievements and appearance, with the exception of one student. Only Jessica, a wealthy socialite, senses Brooke might not be all she appears. But Jessica has her own problems, fueled by too many prescription pills, energy drinks, and a huge case of snobbery. She’s too busy looking down her nose when she should be watching her back. What happens in a historic blizzard will settle their differences once and for all.

My review

Brooke Walton is a brilliant and focused student. She starts her first semester at Everett College after transferring from a smaller and less high profile college subsequent to a traumatic event she witnessed.

I found this story to be darkly fascinating. Brooke is a perfect student, obsessed with her studies and achieving her goals to the exclusion of anything else. She has total control over her body, pushing herself to the limit with her long-distance runs and tough yoga classes, and also total control over her mind. Nothing can distract her, not even the good-looking and wealthy Ethan who is so captivated by her good looks and independence of spirit, that he can’t appreciate the implications any of her strange and rather disturbing disclosures and traits.

Of course, such perfection must have a flaw and Brooke’s is a total lack of empathy or feeling of any kind and an ability to rationalise any situation to the outcome which suited her best. The book is written in such a way that the reader is almost convinced that Brooke is right in her thinking and you almost find yourself routing for her despite it becoming more and more obvious that what you see with Brooke is definitely not what you get.

Ethan is rather typical of a boy who has grown up in a wealthy home and attended preppy schools where he has been taught to always do the right thing and to stand up for the underdog. It is totally impossible for Ethan to begin to imagine how someone like Brooke thinks and feels. Brooke is so different from anything he has ever experienced in his sheltered life that he is completely bowled over by her. The fact that she does not respond to him in the typical way most of the girls he knows do makes her all the more attractive and interesting. Ethan is determined that Brooke is the girl for him.

Jessica is a typical spoiled society girl whose father has bought her a place at Everett college despite her demonstrating clearly on numerous occasions that she is entirely unsuited to such an academically intense environment. All Jessica can think about is what sort of impression she is making on other people and what she looks like. The pressure to maintain her flawless image results in her becoming addicted to a mix of diet pills, alcohol and antidepressants. Obviously, this makes her the complete antithesis to Brooke, who she hates on sight. Unfortunately, Brooke could never understand how completely indifferent someone like Jessica is to anyone and everything outside her own area of influence and existence and so she perceives a threat where there is none.

How will Brooke react to imagined threat posed by Jessica? How will she continue to hide her strange behaviour from Ethan? Can anyone see beyond the carefully developed image of the perfect student?

I enjoyed this book a great deal and have already bought book 2 in the series as I want to see how Brooke continues to fool everyone around her and achieve her set objectives.

Amazon Purchase Link here: https://www.amazon.com/Everett-Jenifer-Ruff/dp/1954447116

Picky Eaters #1 is a short but highly entertaining read by S.J. Higbee.

What Amazon says

This tale about family life, dragon-style, is escapist fun for adults. All proceeds to go to mental health charities. Castellan the Black, now better known as Casta the Grey, has led an eventful life, but these days he’s content to live alone in his mountaintop lair, fending off occasional attacks from the food and waiting to die. At least, that’s what he tells himself. Babysitting his young grandchildren is definitely not on his to do list.

My review

I really enjoyed Picky Eaters #1, a fine tale about an aging and disillusioned dragon lord called Castellan. Castellan’s grandchildren, Sammy Jo and Billy Bob, are staying with him at his lair. An unfortunate incident results in the ‘food’ or local humans being angered and marching on his lair with evil intentions. Castellan and the two children are forced to flee and seek refuge at the home of Castellan’s daughter, the children’s mother.

There are lots of fun family dynamics when the ‘old man’ moves in and it makes for highly entertaining reading. Castellan also discovers that he has passed down a ‘time travelling’ gene to his granddaughter and the pair of them get caught up in an exciting adventure.

Will Castellan survive teaching Sammy Jo to manage her ‘gift’? Will Billy Bob survive enraging his father through an accident? You’ll have to read this novella to find out.

It is amusing and fun and will keep your nose to your kindle.

Amazon US purchase link: https://www.amazon.com/Picky-Eaters-S-J-Higbee-ebook/dp/B089YLWRZP

Carrie by Stephen King is today’s Halloween Book Festival selection.

What Amazon says

An unpopular teenage girl whose mother is a religious fanatic is tormented and teased to the breaking point by her more popular schoolmates and uses her hidden telekinetic powers to inflict a terrifying revenge.

My review

Carrie, by Stephen King, is one of his shortest novels. It is also the King novel that had the greatest impact on me from a philosophical point of view as King expresses viewpoints about teenagers, and how they form themselves into social groups of different status, which are true and chilling. His unerring ability to strike to the core of teenage human nature and their driving need, as a group, to hunt in packs and to be accepted by one another, as well as their intolerance of difference, is frightening to read.

Carrie has been a social outcast since her first day at primary school when she gets down on her knees, as she has been taught to do, and says prayers before lunch. From that moment, Carrie is labeled “weird” and a “religious freak” and she has no hope of ever redeeming herself, no matter how hard she tries. Carrie is the product of a single parent home and her mother is willing to abuse her daughter, mentally and physically, in order to ensure she complies with her rigid and extreme religious views. Carrie is caught between trying to please a mother she does love, despite her abusive behaviour, and attempting to be accepted by her peers at school. We discover early on in the book that Carrie isn’t an ordinary girl, but possesses some rather extraordinary powers. Her mother has had a taste of her powers in the past and is extremely frightened that they  are gifts from the devil.

When Carrie becomes the victim of a school girl bullying event which involves the majority of her fellow students, one of the student’s, Sue, is so overcome by guilt, she decides to try and make amends for her bad behaviour. Sue convinces her boyfriend, Tommy, to take Carrie to the prom instead of her so that she can have a lovely evening to remember. Surprisingly, Tommy agrees and this starts of chain of events that quickly spiral out of control.

I am a great fan of Stephen King’s older works and I really enjoyed this book and the movie by the same name. I am not quite sure Carrie fits exactly into the horror book mold but it is certainly a gripping and fascinating story.

Amazon US purchase link: https://www.amazon.com/Carrie-Stephen-King-ebook/dp/B001BANK2I