House of the Shrieking Woman by Steven Ramirez – Review

Rating – 4/5

Sarah Greene is a psychic. She can communicate with ghosts and has been doing so since she was fifteen, after her best friend’s demise. Although she doesn’t comprehend why she was chosen for this “gift”, she can’t turn her back on it. Putting her abilities to good use, she investigates paranormal mysteries.

One such mystery or let’s say, a series of disturbing events occur at a women’s shelter. Despite barely surviving her previous encounter with a deadly dark force, Sarah agrees to investigate these events. The arrival of Ana, a domestic abuse survivor from Guatemala, apparently started these unsettling events. However, Sarah soon realizes these to be the handicraft of a demonic force that has its evil roots settled deep into the town of Don Santos. Will Sarah be able to save Ana? Most importantly, will she herself survive another encounter with a demon? Read House of the Shrieking Woman by Steven Ramirez to find out.

Advertisement

Two Mini Reviews: Fiction Horror

The Subtlety of Terror: A Short Horror Read by Christie Stratos

Stratos pens an intense and scary tale in The Subtlety of Terror. It narrates the events that occur when the protagonist wants to sell her house.

Without giving away any spoiler, I will say only one thing: watch out for the house!

In a span of 1950 words, this short horror read packs a punch. Further, not a word goes waste. In such a short time, she narrates the backstory, the current predicament, and what the future has in store for the protagonist. Recommended.

Get it on Amazon

The Wind by Edward Willett

Once happily married, the protagonist finds himself alone in his childhood home in The Wind by Edward Willett. Soon, the reader realizes why the house is closing in on him. The Wind is an excellent short horror story. It’s beautifully written, atmospheric, psychologically thrilling, and conjures vivid images of terror in a dark night. Willett deftly brings out the faults of his protagonist(s) in a brief span of ten pages. Highly recommended.

The author’s publicist provided me with free digital copy of these books upon request. I opted to provide an honest review on my blog. This does not affect my opinion of the books.

Sons of Slaughter by Brian McBride – Review

Sons of Slaughter by Brian McBride

Rating – 4/5

Two seventeen-year-old teenagers, Beck and Dean, more like brothers than friends, want to run away from their small town of Clatskanie, Oregon. Defiant and reckless Beck wants to escape from the tortuous stranglehold of his abusive stepfather. For years, a world of his own has been his only refuge from the abuse. One day he discovers his deceased grandfather’s ramshackle cabin deep in the woods and convinces Dean to help him repair it.

Dean, who is still recovering from a failed suicide attempt, agrees to help Beck. He just wants to lead his life quietly, however, an unplanned pregnancy and threats from his former gang, the Howlers, hardly let him do so. Little by little, Dean’s actions and Beck’s shaky grip on reality propel both into the thick of things. Can they come out of it unscathed, or will it scar their lives forever? Read Sons of Slaughter by Brian McBride to find out.

China Basin by R.A. Niles – Review

China Basin by R.A. Niles

On a wintry foggy morning in San Fransisco in June 1950, when the bloated corpse of Carlo Steffano, a mob lawyer, rolls out of a cargo net, Inspector Andrew Johnson hardly feels any remorse for the dead man. However, what complicates matters further is the discovery of another corpse—that of Hector Arroyo—in the trunk of a nearby car. Arroyo is a drug mule and works for the Mexicans.

This piques the interest of Johnson and his partner, Camozzi, since the mob and the Mexicans are fierce competitors. Hence, it doesn’t make any sense for these two bodies to be discovered near each other.  Thus, starts a fateful investigation into these grisly murders, told in the first person from the perspective of Johnson, that plunges him neck-deep into the quagmire of drugs, brothels, and Communism in China.

Playing Dead by Monique Faison Ross – Review

Playing Dead by Monique Faison Ross

Rating – 4/5

Monique, the daughter of San Diego Charger’s football great Earl Faison, never imagined marrying her high school boyfriend would turn out to be the most horrible mistake of her life. She also hadn’t imagined she would survive this mistake to narrate her tale.

Playing Dead: A Memoir of Terror and Survival by Monique Faison Ross recounts the author’s experience of a nightmarish marriage that culminated in a brutally violent incident. Her relationship with Chris was unstable from the beginning, but it gradually turned abusive and denigrating.

True Freedom: How America came to fight Britain for its Independence by Michael Dean – Review

True Freedom: A Novel by Michael Dean

Rating – 4/5

Set in Boston and London and spanning sixteen years, True Freedom: How America came to fight Britain for its Independence by Michael Dean chronicles the events that led to the American Revolutionary War (1775 – 1783). Focusing on a few prominent characters, Dean provides the readers with an insider’s view into what shaped the revolution.