I've not read any of the Andy Kane books by Carter Brown before as I tend to gravitate to either his Danny Boyd (a personal favorite), Rick Holman, orI've not read any of the Andy Kane books by Carter Brown before as I tend to gravitate to either his Danny Boyd (a personal favorite), Rick Holman, or Al Wheeler series. That said, after reading Hong Kong Caper, I really want to delver deeper into this Parker-like (created by Richard Stark, aka Donald Westlake) character (fingers crossed there's more books).
Kane, a smuggler and all around go-to bad guy in the underworld for unlawful things finds himself smack bang in the middle in a mission for a million dollars; the bounty long buried in the Kwan Po Bay following a downed pilot in WWII and brought to his attention by the sister of the deceased. If only happenstance wealth could be so simple...
Based on the Carter Brown novelette Blonde, Bad, and Beautiful, Hong Kong Caper is a lot of fun. Kane is an interesting character who doesn't follow the conventional Carter Brown protagonist insofar as his unlawful nature and selfish desire to put cash ahead of wanton women (which are typically stock standard in Carter Brown books), and the plot takes more turns than you'd typically expect from a popcorn pulp.
I highly recommend Hong Kong Caper for fans of Carter Brown seeking more substance to the standard pulp-hack story....more
Werewolves, fantasy, an intriguing and well defined lore, and a bevy of blood – that’s some of what you can expect from reading Wild Blood. Oh, and thWerewolves, fantasy, an intriguing and well defined lore, and a bevy of blood – that’s some of what you can expect from reading Wild Blood. Oh, and there’s plenty of sex, murder and mayhem…
I was really impressed with this interesting and entertaining take on the werewolf sub-genre. Despite the synopsis leaning towards the hack and slash with ghoulish afterthoughts, the story itself is actually one of redemption and discovery. Skinner Cade is a lone wolf character (get it?) who eventually finds himself part of a pack; his life bigger and brighter than he thought possible (though there are some ‘teething’ problems along the way). Before too long he’s living and breathing a b-grade horror movie with all the graphic gore and explicit sex scenes he can handle.
This book won’t appeal to everyone but if you’re into the mass market paperback scene then you’re bound to want to seek your teeth into this one. ...more
This book is not for the faint of heart. Mutilation, rape, murder, cannibalism, and many other heinous acts of depravity splatter the blood stained paThis book is not for the faint of heart. Mutilation, rape, murder, cannibalism, and many other heinous acts of depravity splatter the blood stained pages of Survivors. Amid the viscera, brain matter, and bodily fluids, is a suspenseful story of self preservation and extreme horror. The author see's Jack Ketchum's Off Season and raises the bar to a whole new level. I couldn't put it down, despite the confronting and, at times, difficult-to-read subject matter. ...more
I like survival horror, especially those stories which emphasize the strange and surreal in a confined setting (shopping malls, isolated islands, abanI like survival horror, especially those stories which emphasize the strange and surreal in a confined setting (shopping malls, isolated islands, abandoned towns etc.) often featuring zombies, mutants, rampant cannibals, and deranged serial killers. Whilst Island ticks two of those boxes, Castaways (written by Brian Keene) or Night of the Living Dead (written by John Russo) this is not.
When a family is marooned on a deserted island previously home to a gorilla sanctuary, their attention immediately turns to food/shelter/and warmth. Giving little thought to the suspicious nature surrounding the unexplained explosion of their boat which seemingly took to the life of the sole member aboard at the time, the troupe steadily turn paradise into home…until Gilligan’s island turns bloody.
The hack and slash serial killer theme runs rampant here as the survivors are steadily and brutally murdered. I don’t mind this as much as the next horror fan but there was something too mechanical and systematic about this to truly enjoy it. Perhaps it was the narrator, one of the male survivors who thinks more with his nether regions that his actual brain, with the story unfolding through the words written in his journal; it felt tedious and read like a young adult story written by someone full to the brim with teenage angst and haywire hormones.
Richard Laymon rarely lets me down but this one was a little underwhelming. Don’t get me wrong, it’s still a fun read, but there are much better books out there....more
INTO BONES LIKE OIL is moody, atmospheric, and full of emotion. In the short span of 81 pages, the characters shine through just as much as the creepyINTO BONES LIKE OIL is moody, atmospheric, and full of emotion. In the short span of 81 pages, the characters shine through just as much as the creepy and overt ghostly themes which spread their cold caress across the page.
Set in a haunted rooming house near the beach, the occupants, past and present, share a deep connection with the ghosts of a shipwreck. No only can the rooming house inhabitants see their ghostly neighbors but, when asleep, they can become the vessel to which these ghosts communicate with the living. Pretty creepy stuff.
Ghosts aside, it the character's unique and depressing backstories which capture the emotion and provide depth to the story. Sure the apparitions and voices of the dead are highlights, but I like my horror with some humanity - and this has it.
"I know new something else..something terrifying...these apparitions had the power to do strange and horrible things. Not only the power, but the will"I know new something else..something terrifying...these apparitions had the power to do strange and horrible things. Not only the power, but the will."
The Pariah fulfills all your horror needs and them some; ghosts, the reanimated dead, hauntings, demonic lore, and scares a-plenty.
Granitehead is a small coastal town with a deadly secret, one that steadily surfaces as the story progresses; deceased loved ones can be seen by their significant others in lightning flashes and quick glimpses, objects move on their own, and voices can be heard on the cold air. For John Trenton, the sight of he recently deceased wife brings a concoction of terror and elation - until a grisly murder sways his feelings firmly towards terror.
Cold, atmospheric, and engaging. The Pariah reads like you're watching a high grade horror film; everything just works....more
The fifth book in the Leone Scamarcio series set in Rome sees the lone wolf police detective face off against the devil; metaphorically and literally.The fifth book in the Leone Scamarcio series set in Rome sees the lone wolf police detective face off against the devil; metaphorically and literally.
Andrea Borghese was a troubled young man - so much so, that conventional treatments did nothing to alleviate the mood swings and strange behavior. With his parent's at their wits-end, his mother turned to the church for answers. What she got was nothing short of the supernatural; exorcisms, the devil incarnate, and ultimately death and destruction of her domestic situation.
With Andrea's murder, Scamarcio treads down a path he's well used to. One that crosses the thin blue line of the law into dangerous territory; a path that not only brings pain to his professional career, but threatens to destroy his personal life and that of his unborn child.
There's a lot going on in The Devil and it's all interwoven beautifully. I love Scamarico's inner struggle and penchant for self destruction, it's what separates the character from other crime series protagonists and this book, in particular, is all the better for it.
While new reader friendly, The Devil works on more levels by having an understanding as to how Scamarico and co. got here. I highly recommended starting with The Few and reading all the way through to The Devil....more
In the third installment featuring the nerviest and curviest private eye in the business, Honey West falls victim to a murderous case of mistaken idenIn the third installment featuring the nerviest and curviest private eye in the business, Honey West falls victim to a murderous case of mistaken identity; in the fictional world of Honey W, all busty well built blondes look alike...so it seems.
The opening stanza is the most hardboiled the series has to offer and reads like a scene ripped from a Mike Hammer novel. However, the comparisons with Hammer soon dissipate and Honey resumes doing Honey things...fighting crime with her lips, hips, and...you know...
A staple of the series; the convoluted plot, rears its ugly head yet again. Cartoon dialogue and flimsy storytelling are commonplace (and expected in this series) yet at some point it becomes hard to enjoy the popcorn pulp nature of these books, and that's exactly what happens in the later stages here, when, once again, an unbelievable rationale is thrust in the face of the reader and a culprit out of left field is revealed as a kidnapper...
Whilst the weakest of the first three books, GIRL ON THE LOOSE does have some memorable moments; opening stanza aside, there's a scene of Honey and her reporter friend pulling the wool over a crime boss's eyes at a booze fueled pool party which reads as though it was written for film - butter to what is otherwise a somewhat stale bun. ...more
Isaiah Quintabe (aka IQ), is a quasi PI and modern day Sherlock. In Hi Five, the fourth installment of the series, IQ is forced to look into a locked-Isaiah Quintabe (aka IQ), is a quasi PI and modern day Sherlock. In Hi Five, the fourth installment of the series, IQ is forced to look into a locked-room-type-scenario in which a promising underworld figure is slain in a cold and clinical manner;the only ‘witness’, an arms’ dealers’ daughter, Christiania, who happens to have multiple personalities, all polar opposites of one another. IQ’s immense powers of deduction, and fast ability to fact-find are tested to the extreme in a case he’d rather not have anything to do with.
This one took a little while to grow on me. Sure, Christiania is an intriguing character who adds complexity to the case, but early on, much of the action and plotting was lost in favor of the author’s social commentary on racism, mental health, gun control, and poverty. All that was built with Christiania as suspect and semi-victim was lost in the outside noise. Luckily, the story steadily took precedence and Hi Five, in the end, felt right at home alongside the other three volumes in the series....more
Honey West, the bombshell private eye with curves that could kill is hired to babysit the wife of a wealthy film director suspected to be in the crossHoney West, the bombshell private eye with curves that could kill is hired to babysit the wife of a wealthy film director suspected to be in the cross-hairs of a killers scope.
Arriving at the directors mansion on day one of her assignment to a raunchy new years eve party, Honey quickly becomes the center of attention, thanks to her well built body which every hot blooded male (and some females) simply cant resist brushing up to and/or commenting on. Whilst this tact to draw the reader to Honey's not so subtle charms fits the theme of the series, it does grow tiresome very quickly.
In less time than it takes Honey to shed her clothes (those pesky garments just keep getting in the way!), her client is found dead and everyone who'd earlier made sexual remakes towards the well endowed private eye is immediately suspected.
As Honey's dogged determination to catch the killer, no thanks to the police's ineptitude and amateur hour input, draws the story to a close, the reader can't help but feel cheated by an ending which felt too convenient and was executed with little conviction.
While not as complex in terms of complicated plotting and sheer body count as the first book in the series THIS GIRL FOR HIRE, A GUN FOR HONEY does go off the rails in parts only to be brought back on track by some flimsy plot-saving devices, which, to be honest, don't hold up to scrutiny; this isn't actually a bad thing as these books aren't intended to be Raymond Chandler / Jim Thompson quality - they're pure popcorn pulp; buttery and good in small doses. ...more
Blood Cult is a hack and slash story more akin to an episode of Walker Texas Ranger as apposed to the horrors of a real life cult the Peoples Temple. Blood Cult is a hack and slash story more akin to an episode of Walker Texas Ranger as apposed to the horrors of a real life cult the Peoples Temple.
The book started out well enough with an intense chase through a forest as an escapee fled the madness of the cult only to be cut down in a very brutal manner. The scene was intense and set up the story in the best way possible...only for everything to go downhill.
Despite the title, most of Blood Cult takes place outside of secret confines of the 'blood' cult overseen by religious fanatic Brother Jacob and his henchmen. The characters are cookie-cutter and the plot overly simplistic; a mission to rescue two of the cults recent converts from a life of slavery.
Just so happens that the brother of one of the converts is an army vet and martial arts expert. Naturally he proceeds to beat the living crap out of every single cult member in his way to recuse his brother and partner from Brother Jacob's evil ways. That's as deep as it gets...
Whilst enjoyable in parts, the book lacked any depth and failed to explore cults and the horrors within, rather, the author choose to focus on a flimsy action-based theme which had little impact on this reader.
I'd rated Blood Cult 2/5 stars. Look elsewhere for your cult fiction fix....more
Struth! Stone the flamin’ crows, this one’s a bloody rippa (both figuratively and literally)!
Side note; I’m an Australian, and whilst the colorful afoStruth! Stone the flamin’ crows, this one’s a bloody rippa (both figuratively and literally)!
Side note; I’m an Australian, and whilst the colorful aforementioned colloquialisms aren’t part of my day to day dialogue, they are 100% apt when reviewing this piece of, do I dare so, classical Aussie outback horror? – yeah, it’s that good.
Back to the book; this outback gore stained story of survival horror ticks all the boxes; it’s got the isolation angle, a menacing murderous beast, a high kill count, disturbingly gruesome deaths, and a solid rationale.
The characters themselves are type-cast country farmers living day by day downing pints at the pub, brawling with their mates, and putting in long hours of hard yakka. Alan Baxter does a great job at capturing that distinct regional Australia setting and populating it with colorful characters.
The pub is a key destination, not only serving as the local watering hole which brings the characters together, but it's also one of the places where the horror hits home; the menacing marsupial carves out a nice slice of nightmare here.
The Roo is pitch perfect for horror aficionados, even moreso for fellow countrymen readers....more
Cults, religious fanaticism, terrorism, brainwashing, mass murder, and gross scale manipulation of the vulnerable and at-risk are all scary and confroCults, religious fanaticism, terrorism, brainwashing, mass murder, and gross scale manipulation of the vulnerable and at-risk are all scary and confronting elements explored in delicately balanced morsels of madness ripped from straight from newspaper and social medial headlines worldwide.
Non-fiction, and in particular, true crime can be difficult to read. For one, unlike fiction, the murder, horror, and heartache is real. In Cults Uncovered, many followers and bystanders alike suffered in the most inhumane conditions and were exploited by virtue of their ignorance and manipulated by their (at times, misguided) beliefs.
In short, sharp chapters sticking to facts and telling the hard truths, author Emily G. Thompson's recounting of these horrific happenings is a beginners guide to uncovering what lay beneath the glossy magazine spreads and prime time coverage of some of the most memorable and disturbing acts of human depravity in the last century.
Cults Uncovered serves well to introduce those with a casual curiosity of the atrocities taken place in these cults and provides plenty of reference points to dig deeper....more
Human Error blurs the lines between tech-fi and horror and largely succeeds in doing so. The only problem is that it takes a very long time for the hoHuman Error blurs the lines between tech-fi and horror and largely succeeds in doing so. The only problem is that it takes a very long time for the horror element to embed itself in the technology. That, and a whole lot of nonsensical scenes and equally nonsensical dialogue hinder what could’ve been a pretty decent book.
Written in the mid 1980’s when computers were in their infancy, there’s a lot of unknown about their capability and capacity to change ‘modern’ ways of working. Here, the author attempts to fuse organic with artificial intelligence to form a suite of computers which can ‘think’ and solve real world problems just as good as, if not better, than humans. Whilst far-fetched and completely unrealistic, the noise surrounding computers in the mid 80’s meant there was a degree of apprehension and excitement attributed to this unknown qualitative computing mechanism. The plot doesn’t age well, but I could see how it’d have more impact closer to the original publication date.
Silly story aside, the downfall really is the dialogue and strange characters; their behavior, mannerisms, social interactions…the list goes on – they’re just not well written and that really dampers the reader experience. Cool cover on the mass market paperback edition though. ...more
The only published novel by Mendal W. Johnson (he wrote 8 or 9 which went unpublished (source: Grady Hendrix - 2020 VaWell, that escalated quickly...
The only published novel by Mendal W. Johnson (he wrote 8 or 9 which went unpublished (source: Grady Hendrix - 2020 Valancourt edition introduction)) doesn't mess around. Forget the slow and steady plot devices of some horror novels which build tension and suspense over chapter after chapter. No. Johnson dips his characters into the melting pot straight away and the story is all the more better for it.
The freshly new minted edition published by Valancourt Books in 2020 as part of the second wave of Paperbacks from Hell reprints is all a horror enthusiast could want and includes a bonus intro by Paperback From Hell author Grady Hendrix.
Brenda is a picture perfect image of beauty, youth, and vitality, hired by the Adams' parentals to babysit their children (Cindy 10 and Bobby 13) for a few days while they travel out of town. Who could've predicted a child's game among Cindy's and Bobby's friends could turn so very adult. Certainly not Brenda - who, in no time at all is gagged, tied, stripped naked, and at the mercy of Brenda, Cindy, and their group of friends.
Other reviews of this book have mentioned that the events (particularly the later stages) will haunt the reader long after they've turned the last page of Let's Go Play at the Adams', and after finally getting to read the book (originally published in 1974) I echo this; this book is a sojourn down the torrid path of depravity in which horror bleeds into the literary realm leaving a long lasting coppery taste of blood in the mouth of the reader. ...more
In the cold dark depths of horror where blinding white fear and perpetual nightmare reins, a sinister spread of madness driven by a primal instinct diIn the cold dark depths of horror where blinding white fear and perpetual nightmare reins, a sinister spread of madness driven by a primal instinct disrupts reality in this highly addictive new novel by Darcy Coates.
Through a veil of snow and ignorance, Clare, unassumingly drives head-on into danger after a phone call from her sister, the contents of which remain a mystery which gently unfolds as the plot, not so gently, reaches a fever pitch.
Whilst a solid, singular and sequential story featuring interesting and life-like characters is great, Voices in the Show goes the extra mile in delivering a horror with depth, both in story and character.
For a large portion of the book I thought this was horror of the haunted house variety mixed with a little bit of crazy by virtue of an unsettling and slightly 'off' resident of a secluded mansion who takes Clare in following a car accident in the forest.
How wrong I was.
Echoing elements of Richard Matheson's I Am Legend, Darcy Coates succeeds in scaring the crap out of the reader; creatures hiding in the shadowy corners of dark rooms conjure vivid imagery of Stephen King's Gerald's Game, and an ever present threat of danger, combined with a confined sense of claustrophobia make for one hell of a read....more
Stock standard Egyptian curse this is not. Whilst the theme is prevalent in many horror novels, Accursed primarily focuses on a family’s’ slow decent Stock standard Egyptian curse this is not. Whilst the theme is prevalent in many horror novels, Accursed primarily focuses on a family’s’ slow decent into madness by virtue of two displaced mummies; their supernatural spirits and that of their gods awaken when English house husband George Brownlow disturbs their place of (restless) rest whilst digging out a portion of the backyard as part of his construction of a fallout shelter.
What ensues is a series of increasingly disturbing events, victimising the Brownlow’s and those close to them until the spirits and their masters complete a macabre ritual, depicted in the most gruesome manner.
Not for the squeamish, Accursed slithers its way inside the reader and takes root of all that is rational and bleeds it out drip by drip until the omnipresent madness experienced by the characters consumes you into the story. A must read for fans of paperback horror. ...more
Laden with literary overtones, Long Bright River is a character study of equal parts habitat and inhabitant. One could argue that the core of Long BriLaden with literary overtones, Long Bright River is a character study of equal parts habitat and inhabitant. One could argue that the core of Long Bright River is socio-economic with a political spin but in reality it's a cruel story of a tale frequently told in tabloids and HBO prime-time depicted in fiction through a lens both brutal and honest.
The thin blue line of law and order is blurred in favor of family over police procedure as beat cop Mickey Fitzpatrick undertakes a lone-wolf investigation into her missing sisters whereabouts and matters concerning a spate of murdered young women.
While the pace may deter some readers, the slow simmering plot served well to add context to to the Mickey/Kacey dynamic through a deep character study which untimely enriched the story.
The insight into the effects of drugs, lost innocence, circumstance, and broken families are prominent pieces to this literary puzzle, all culminating in a captive read. Long Bright River is a book which will stay with the reader long after the last page is turned....more
Shadows of the Apt is one of the most creative and well crafted fictional universes I've had the pleasure of reading. The decalogy features some of thShadows of the Apt is one of the most creative and well crafted fictional universes I've had the pleasure of reading. The decalogy features some of the best fantasy print to every caress the page; full of interesting and dangerous landscapes brought to life by equally interesting and complex characters.
The Tales of the Apt books; short story collections set in the same universe are the cream on top of a very rich cake.
The fourth installment (and hopefully not the last) sees a bunch of authors given licence to delve into the world of the varied kinden and breathe new life into some of the lesser-knowns from the series proper while also introducing new characters to the fold.
Some of my personal favorite characters in Totho, Uctebri, and Dephos all make some form of an appearance throughout the collection of stories which serves as nice Easter eggs for longtime fans of the series.
Whilst I generally enjoyed all the stories, particular highlights include; OLD BLOOD and THE GOD OF PROFOUND THINGS by Adrian Tchaikovsky, THE MESSAGE by John Gwynne, THE PROMISE OF A THREAT by David Tallerman, and THE MANTIS WAY by Peter NEWMAN.
Be it Wasp, Sea, Mole, Beetle, Bee, Mosquito or Mantis kinden - there's a story for every Shadows of the Apt fan. ...more
A fun resource for horror and (to an extent) vintage sci-fi enthusiasts. The first three issues of the fanzine are collected here and each brings someA fun resource for horror and (to an extent) vintage sci-fi enthusiasts. The first three issues of the fanzine are collected here and each brings something a little different, however, a common theme seems to be a lean towards the short forms of fiction such as short story collections and anthologies. Personally, I've hunted down three books mentioned here and will be on the look out for more.
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