October 26, 2014 by Caroline Barker

Recommended Halloween Horrors for New Adults and Mature Readers (17yrs+)

To celebrate the month of Halloween this year we thought we would share with you a selection of books suited to the Halloween theme. Yesterday we posted our Recommended Halloween Horrors for Young Readers, Teens and Young Adults (11yrs+), and today we are recommending reads for the more adult reader. The books that have been selected are some that we have reviewed or are hoping to review in the not too distant future!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Caroline and Tina 🙂

Demonica by Will Davis (reviewed by Caroline)

Dark, psychological, modern day fairy tale and horror

When spoilt eighteen year old Miranda suffers a terrible accident she survives, but her face is hideously scarred.

Unable to bear what has happened to her, she locks herself away. Her only companions are Veronica, her cruel and beautiful mother, and Nelly, the sympathetic housekeeper.

As time passes Veronica inflicts cruelty after cruelty on her disfigured daughter. Lonely and filled with despair, Miranda is astonished when Bernard, Veronica’s handsome younger boyfriend, takes an interest in her circumstances.

For Bernard believes there is an operation that can restore Miranda’s face. But it will involve committing an unspeakable crime. A decision that will haunt her for the rest of her life…

In the tradition of Angela Carter and Daphne du Maurier, Demonica is a terrifying modern fairy tale.

Available at Amazon UK and Amazon US.

Tatterdemon by Steve Vernon (reviewed by Caroline)

Terrifying tension, horrific, violent and gory, with some humour

In 1691 the town of Crossfall taught the witch Thessaly how to die. They beat her, they shot her, they hung her – but nothing worked. When they finally tried to bury her alive Thessaly set the field against them. The first man died as a gust of wind harrowed the meat from his bones. A root,flung like a dirty javelin, cut a second man down. Many more deaths followed. The Preacher Fell impaled the witch upon her very own broom but she dragged him down into the field to wait for three more centuries.

Three hundred years later Maddy Harker will murder her bullying husband Vic. She will bury him in the field as she buried her abusive father years before that. The very same field where the revenant spirit of Thessaly Cross lies waiting.

In three days Vic will rise again – a thing of dirt, bone and hatred.

Men will call him the Tatterdemon.

And hell – and Thessaly – will follow.

Available at Amazon UK and Amazon US.

On the Lips of Children by Mark Matthews (reviewed by Caroline)

A Marathon like no other

Meet Macon. Tattoo artist. Athlete. Family man.

He’s planning to run a marathon, but the event becomes something terrible.

During a warm-up run, Macon falls prey to a bizarre man and his wife who dwell in an underground drug-smuggling tunnel. They raise their twin children in a way Macon couldn’t imagine: skinning unexpecting victims for food and money.

And Macon, and his family, are next.

Available at Amazon UK and Amazon US.

Control (The Soul of Voodoo, #1) Control (The Soul of Voodoo #1) by M.C. Lavocat (reviewed by Caroline)

Dark paranormal horror with romance and comedy

‘Control’ is a paranormal romance, about three lives that are thrown together in a desperate battle where love and lust are the catalysts that release a blood voodoo curse so dark that it could alter their destiny, as well as time itself.

******************

After spending three stale, miserable years in a neuroscience doctoral program, Cecelia Milonas throws caution to the wind and walks out; right into the arms of the man who has had the starring role in her panty-melting fantasies for over three years.

Andre St. Clair had never shown any romantic interest in Cecelia or anyone else, so she had resigned herself to the role of fangirl and very willing employee, since moving to New Orleans and into the apartment above his restaurant. Cecelia thinks that their relationship is a fantasy come true, but neither are prepared for a desire that burns hot enough to ignite a hatred, long thought dead.

As if one gorgeous man and deathly struggle aren’t enough, in walks Lance Bradley, with whom she has some kind of freaky-deaky, psychic-hotline connection that is determined to pull them together no matter who gets torn apart in the process.

So, nothing is easy in The Big Easy, where the past and the present are caught up in a struggle so dangerous and deadly that it’s changing destiny, and possibly time itself.

Author post by M.C. Lavocat

The Moon Trilogy by Tim O’Rourke (reviewed by Caroline)

Paranormal horror adventure

When eighteen-year-old Winter McCall is offered a chance to leave her life of poverty behind on the streets of London, she reluctantly accepts, and moves to a remote part of the south west of England.

Here she takes up the job as housekeeper to the young and handsome, yet mysterious, Thaddeus Blake.

Warned that he has some curious habits, Winter soon realises that not all is as it firsts appears at the remote mansion where she now lives and works.
Blind to the real danger that she is in, Winter finds herself becoming attracted to Thaddeus.

With nowhere to run and no one to turn to, she slowly succumbs to his strange requests. But none of them are as strange as his requests for her to stand each night in the moonlight.

Moonlight (The Moon Trilogy #1)

Moonbeam (The Moon Trilogy #2)

Moonshine (The Moon Trilogy #3)

Author post/bio by Tim O’Rourke

Moonlight (The Moon Trilogy, #1) is available at Amazon for £0.77/$1.24 at the time of writing. (Please be aware prices are subject to change.) Check it out at Amazon UK and Amazon US.

The latest release, Moonshine (The Moon Trilogy #3) is also now available at Amazon UK and Amazon US.

The Purple Haze (short story)/After the Haze (sequel/full novel) by Gary Richardson (reviewed/to be reviewed by Caroline)

Crime thriller to action-packed horror

In the small town of Leyland, a group of thieves plan to pull off their final job and steal three million pounds from a bank. The job seems to be a success, until the alarm is tripped and the police surround the building. A standoff ensues, and the police try to negotiate a resolution before the thieves begin to kill their hostages.

Things take a strange turn, however, when an eerie purple mist renders everyone unconscious. When people begin to wake up, they find that they are among only a small few who haven’t been killed and mutilated by the mist. Then, the dead return to feed on the living, forcing the surviving police, thieves and hostages to band together in a bitter struggle for survival.

The Purple Haze is available at Amazon for £0.99/$1.69 at the time of writing. (Please be aware prices are subject to change.) Check it out at Amazon UK and Amazon US.

The sequel, After the Haze, is available at Amazon UK and Amazon US.

Cursed: A Werewolf’s Tale (Cheyenne Clark, Werewolf #1) (otherwise known as ‘Frostbite’ in the US) by David Wellington (reviewed by Caroline)

Urban fantasy with panic and horror

For Cheyenne Clark, there’s a bad moon on the rise . . .

There’s one sound a woman doesn’t want to hear when she’s lost and alone in the Arctic wilderness: a howl.

When a strange wolf’s teeth slash Cheyenne’s ankle to the bone, her old life ends, and she becomes the very monster that has haunted her nightmares for years. Worse, the only one who can understand what Chey has become is the man–or wolf–who’s doomed her to this fate. He also wants to chop her head off with an axe.

Yet as the line between human and beast blurs, so too does the distinction between hunter and hunted . . . for Chey is more than just the victim she appears to be. But once she’s within killing range, she may find that–even for a werewolf–it’s not always easy to go for the jugular.

Available at Amazon UK and Amazon US.

That Risen Snow: A Scary Tale of Snow White and Zombies (The Scary Tales #1) by Rob E. Boley (to be reviewed by Caroline)

Zombie horror with a twist to the Snow White fairytale

The zombie sequel to Snow White begins where the classic fairy tale ends, with the Prince’s kiss waking Snow from her cursed slumber. Snow wakes up, but she doesn’t wake up right.

Now a deranged zombie, Snow infects both the Prince and the seven dwarfs’ leader. That leaves the young dwarf Grouchy, who is secretly in love with Snow, to find a cure for her malicious curse. So begins an epic journey that pits the lovesick Grouchy against dwarf-hating human soldiers, Snow’s ever-growing zombie horde, and his own bad temper. But when Grouchy and his motley crew of survivors escape Snow’s clutches and seek refuge in a nearby human village, he soon finds that her affliction has spread faster and further then he ever could have imagined. Snow is hell-bent on spreading her horrid curse across the land, and it’s up to Grouchy to stop her before it’s too late.

So begins THE SCARY TALES, a dark fantasy series featuring mash-ups of traditional fairy tale characters and classic horror monsters.

Available at Amazon UK and Amazon US.

Stilts (Tessa Dark Trilogy #1) by Tim O’Rourke (reviewed by Caroline)

Edge-of-your-seat, nail-biting, excruciating excitement

‘Stilts’ is the first book in a new dystopian trilogy by #1 bestselling author Tim O’Rourke.

While eighteen-year-old, Tessa Dark was serving her prison sentence for murder, the world beyond her cell walls changed forever. The thunder came and destroyed the world she had once known.

Trapped inside the prison and faced with no future, Tessa’s only glimmer of hope is her friendship with fellow inmate Joe McBride.

Despite Tessa’s fear, Joe decides to go beyond the prison walls to seek help. But when he fails to return, Tessa is determined to go and search for him.

To gain her freedom, Tessa must first learn to walk, run, and fight on stilts if she is to survive the new and terrifying world on the other side of the prison walls.

Available at Amazon UK and Amazon US.

Child of Woe, Dark Hunter (Children of Woe, Dark Hunters #1) by Simon Goodwin (to be reviewed by Caroline)

A horror journey through hell

The reports were growing in number: the Dead rising, zombies attacking people, others being found across the world drained of blood, and still others being torn apart by supposed wild animals in the middle of big cities. Zombies, Vampires, Werewolves and they are just the beginning.

The Walls between myth and reality are faltering and soon those walls will be gone and the Earth will become a battleground of chaos. As governments falter and civilisation tips ever closer to the abyss, one man and his dog find themselves on a journey home. It is a journey that will take them through hell and back.

Available at Amazon UK and Amazon US.

Bellmere Common: There’s Nothing Common About Bellmere by Mark Steen (to be reviewed by Caroline)

Supernatural horror

Patrick never knew he had an aunt until he was told she was dead. No one had ever mentioned her. He organises a family trip to sort out the house she has left him. Everything starts off well, but it isn’t long before an old sinister family secret rears its demonic head, and his wife’s recurring nightmares turn out to be visions. There is death and destruction all around them. Who can they trust? Will they survive?

Review Excerpt’s

E. Kerry (Amazon.co.uk) – “I really enjoyed this book.
I read a lot and enjoy thriller and horror novels, this was a really good example of the genre. Plenty of bits that made me nervous to be alone in the dark, some really good twists (which I love trying to see coming nice and early to ‘beat’ the author to it when I can – I failed here!) and a shocking and dramatic ending.
Great debut novel and an author I will be watching out for in future!”

S. Pearson (Amazon.com) – “I enjoyed this story very much and found it to be engrossing and exciting.”

Violence and explicit scenes.

75,000 word length

Available at Amazon UK and Amazon US.

For more great reads and best sellers in the horror genre for adults please visit Amazon UK or Amazon US.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

August 21, 2014 by Caroline Barker

The Medea Complex by Rachel Florence Roberts REVIEW

****BASED ON A TRUE STORY***

1885. Anne Stanbury – Committed to a lunatic asylum, having been deemed insane and therefore unfit to stand trial for the crime of which she is indicted. But is all as it seems?

Edgar Stanbury – the grieving husband and father who is torn between helping his confined wife recover her sanity, and seeking revenge on the woman who ruined his life.

Dr George Savage – the well respected psychiatrist, and chief medical officer of Bethlem Royal Hospital. Ultimately, he holds Anne’s future wholly in his hands.

The Medea Complex tells the story of a misunderstood woman suffering from insanity in an era when mental illnesses’ were all too often misdiagnosed and mistreated. A deep and riveting psychological thriller set within an historical context, packed full of twists and turns, The Medea Complex explores the nature of the human psyche: what possesses us, drives us, and how love, passion, and hope for the future can drive us to insanity.

REVIEW

Set in the nineteenth century, based on a true story and real life characters of the time, The Medea Complex covers genres from an historical psychological thriller leading to an historical mystery thriller. The story holds a fascinating rawness and realistic storyline, following a new mother and her mental state since the birth of her child, how she reacts and copes to treatments and the people surrounding her and leaves the reader wondering if her husband remained in love with her or sought revenge for the situation she has left him in.

After killing her young infant son, Lady Anne Stanbury is committed to Bethlehem Hospital, deemed insane and therefore escapes the legal procedure of being sentenced (if found guilty). Anne is confused and believes she is being held for ransom by criminals as she cannot remember anything in regard to her husband and deceased child. And during this time the reader has an insight into how Anne is treated at the hospital by it’s members of staff.

The story opens up very dark, moody and a little depressing considering the main focus on a woman unable to cope with her young to the point she ends his life and ultimately is losing her mind. And yet, the author has made it so gripping and intense that it draws the reader in, making it such a pleasure to read. It is informative of the time, well-researched and yet written for a reader to follow the characters and storyline with ease, leaving a desire to read more.

Another area that intrigued me was the way in which the author tells the story from many perspectives; Lady Anne, Doctor George Savage, Edgar Stanbury (Anne’s husband), Lord Damsbridge (Anne’s father) and Beatrix Fortier (Anne’s maid and companion). This allows the reader to understand and perhaps empathise with the characters, their mindset and their actions.

Once the reader is aware of the situation that Lady Anne Stanbury is in the story goes on to focus on the many conflicts that all of the characters battle. Initially we are aware that Anne has conflicting memories and confusion of where she is, why she is there and what she remembers before entering the Bethlehem Hospital.

Doctor Savage is trying his best to carry out his work on the hope of curing Anne, whilst using the occasional method that Lord Damsbridge, Anne’s father, doesn’t approve of for his daughter. However, Lord Damsbridge funds the hospital thousands of pounds and wants his daughter treated in a specific manner. He can be a little threatening towards Doctor Savage, leaving the doctor the option to either follow or disobey his orders.

I love this maze of objectives and emotion that Rachel Florence Roberts has weaved into the story. It makes the story in many ways have more than one central character, bringing the reader close to all of them and trying to work out constantly what choices they will make and how they will execute their plans.

As the story unfolds past the first few chapters the reader begins to realise that Lady Anne’s husband, Edgar Stanbury was from a poor background. He has married into nobility and yet with no son and Anne in hospital he has no hold of Asquith Manor or the wealth that Lord Damsbridge could pass onto the male heir of Anne’s. To stay, Edgar needs Anne cured and another son to be born to claim the lifestyle for himself. Edgar also battles his confusion of whether he loves or hates his wife. Does he blame her tremendously for their sons death and long for revenge or does he love her and hopes for a better future with her?

Last but certainly not least is Beatrix who doesn’t take kindly to Edgar. The staff feel that he wants them fired and that his presence is purely for financial gain due to his background but as Asquith Manor is not his home yet she feels safe for now and uses her time to look out for Lady Anne.

In the latter half of the novel it becomes more an historical thriller/mystery, as opposed to psychological, with the reader constantly guessing what has taken place, who was involved, whether sanity had a role to play or not and there are many twists with nothing left unanswered at the end. I thoroughly enjoyed this read regardless of its dark subject matter. It certainly opens eyes to all standpoints involved. And I cannot emphasize enough just how well-researched, understood and written about this era is in this story. It is a real stand-out and will not leave your mind in a hurry.

A copy of The Medea Complex was provided by the author in return for an honest and fair review.

The Medea Complex is available on Amazon UK and Amazon US.

Reviewed by Caroline Barker

July 20, 2014 by Caroline Barker

Milk – Blood by Mark Matthews REVIEW

Blurb: Lilly is ten years old, born with a heart defect, and already addicted to heroin. Her mother is gone from her life, and there are rumors that she was killed by her father and buried near the abandoned house across the street. The house intrigues her, she can’t stay away, and the monstrous homeless man who lives there has been trying to get Lilly to come inside.

For her mother is there, buried in the back, and this homeless man is Lilly’s true father, and both want their daughter back.

Review

Milk – Blood is a completely unique horror, mixing the physical tension of fear, dread and violence with psychological and social concerns of poverty, drug abuse and social care surrounding a motherless young girl, Lilly, who has been struggling with a terrible illness from birth and later comes to learn the true fate of her mother as well as becoming reliant on heroin.

There is a sense of darkness and eeriness in the setting alone, with the story based on a rundown street in Detroit in a poverty-stricken area where virtually every other home is boarded up, the homeless roam the road in need for shelter and crime and drug use is always an issue. Lilly has to walk down this road on the way home from school every weekday evening, with the dark house across the street and a strange, creepy homeless man calling to her. She is teased by school kids and returns home to be ignored regularly and yet still dealing with her illness and pain. And yet these latter issues are nothing compared to the horror she is to encounter deeper into the story.

I found the opening chapters alone of particular interest as Matthews has written the same scene but from each point of view, i.e. the mother’s and her partner’s. This enables the reader from the offset of the story to empathise as much as possible with both sides. I found these chapters, although very tragic concerning the death surrounding the mother, very beautifully written when it came to the partner taking care of the very ill newborn. Such a caring and gently written sequence is rare in many horrors. It is because of this that I believe Milk – Blood begins like a thriller which later develops into a horror.

To use a child, especially one so young and addicted to heroin, I thought was daring of the author in this type of horror and yet it plays out really well. There were moments earlier on in the story that I couldn’t quite comprehend the direction of the story, however these passed very quickly and as the reader continues the story opens out into a great psychological horror that will not disappoint the reader! Due to the content I would recommend that the reader is of mature age of at least 17yrs.

The homeless guy in the boarded up house across the street is also one that has his demons (and for me could have easily been a development of a scavenging character from one of Matthews’ previous books, On the Lips of Children). For he sees and hears more than you would expect. Whether it is partly due to his drug intake or a ‘gift’ he has it adds a deep sense of grittiness, mystery and fear and the reader cannot help but long Lilly to have nothing to do with this character. Of course, Lilly might just get sucked into some inevitable danger as the reader is pulled into the horror too.

Mark Matthews has written Milk – Blood in a clever manner, being able to use some personal experiences and developing them into a suspenseful horror. And not all meets the eye to begin with but as the story wraps up (which it does superbly well) the reader is treated to a little more and realises that there certainly is a purpose for every character mentioned! Despite there being many horrific and tragic scenes, the real horror is where the story takes us – the end result.

This is written in a fantastic way and I love how the reader has no sense of the bigger picture until the conclusion! Although my personal favourite book of Mark Matthews is On the Lips of Children, this one is very close, using a blend of horror from On the Lips of Children as well as the social and dramatic elements of the author’s Stray. (The links of Stray and On the Lips of Children will take you to my previous reviews and some background info on Mark Matthews with On the Lips of Children review.)

A copy of Milk – Blood was provided by the author for the purpose of an honest and fair review.

Milk – Blood is available on Amazon US and Amazon UK.

Milk – Blood was recently released in June 2014. The cover design is from Kealan Patrick Burke of Elderlemon Design, and the story was edited by Richard Thomas, Editor in Chief at Dark House Press.

The term upon which the title is based, “Milk-Blood” was made famous in the Neil Young Song “The Needle and the Damage Done.” A companion piece featuring a character from Milk-Blood, The Damage Done, is available for free on Amazon and has been receiving tremendous reviews.

Reviewed by Caroline Barker

February 17, 2014 by Caroline Barker

Stray by Mark Matthews

A Gritty, Realistic, Touching and Emotional Journey (Recommended for more adult readers (17yrs+) due to the subject matter.)

Book Blurb: Therapist Tomas Cleaves is many years sober from his addiction but is now losing his mind. There are voices in his head and the occasional seizure, and then his wife has a miscarriage on the same day his client dies of a heroin overdose. Tom becomes certain that the addicts he treats must have infected the womb of his wife.

Lost and bitter after the miscarriage, Tom is in desperate need of a client who can give him some hope.

James White is one such client — a newly orphaned alcoholic dead bent on drinking again until he gets discharged and finds himself rescuing lost strays at the next door animal shelter. Can James find a reason to live by rescuing the throw-away pets of the city?

A gritty novel with an edge yet surprisingly gentle and sweet, Stray will take you through the dog fighting dens and crack houses of Detroit where Stray souls can find connections in the most unusual of places.

Review

In between the fantasy, paranormal and romance reads I always enjoy a book that brings me back down to earth. Even though still a fictional story, Stray is a little more realistic, focusing on the unfortunates that are too easily pulled down into drug and alcohol addiction. However, amid the darkness and despair of some, Stray also offers hope and a brighter side with some very sweet, emotional and touching moments.

The story opens up following the Tom’s life, along with some of his clients. Tom constantly beats himself up. He’s trying his best to counsel his clients and guide them to a life of sobriety, yet he can’t control them. At times it seems that there is no hope for some of them. During the tragic times Tom tends to blame himself and links these moments with his wife’s miscarriage, thinking maybe if he hadn’t let his clients down the miscarriage wouldn’t have happened. The affect that this has on Tom’s state of mind is quite concerning. The voices in his head become more frequent and there are times when the reader may question whether Tom himself will remain sober or not.

Clearly there is a significant psychological element to this drama with Tom’s voices and seizures, the effect that the death of his clients have on him and his wife’s miscarriage. As well as the way in which love affects him – love for his wife, unborn child, clients and even those poor strays from the animal shelter opposite the treatment centre. It is these thoughts and feelings that help the reader to relate to the characters.

I was a little confused to begin with as it appeared that some areas of the story were a part of Tom’s memory as he reminisced, and then the reader would be brought back to the present. As the story continues it all becomes clearer and we follow each character’s life which later leads to a dramatic turn of events.

Although quite a serious read there are some heart-warming moments that provide the reader and some of the characters hope for a better future and faith that they can rise up from the rut they are stuck in by staying sober and rebuilding their life with work and relationships. James is a great example of this and my favourite character.

James leaves therapy and could go down either of two paths. He could return home and return to his addiction or he could explore a new life. After hearing the dogs in the animal shelter near to the Treatment Centre, he decides to take a look. In doing so he meets Rachel (Ra) and learns of a job vacancy that surely he’d be suitable for. During James’ time working for the animal shelter the reader has an incite into similarities between the strays and that of an addict. The stray dogs are occasionally re-homed, but many are given an injected drug to end their struggle.

Ra is another of my favourite characters. She is a saviour without realising. She helps rescue the strays of the city, including James. Is there hope for a little romance here? And in many ways, Tom’s character is similar to Ra, in that they both try to save lost souls by re-homing or therapy but sadly very few seem to move on to a better life. Stray is a perfect example of how a life can save another, whether it be through friends, family, children and/or indeed pets and animals.

One of my favourite aspects of Stray is the way in which each character’s story is connected to another. Some connections are more subtle than others but many are connected to Tom, Treatment Centre and/or the animal shelter and pet dogs that some of the characters have or have had.

Stray opens the mind to the ideas that some addicts may have – if things go wrong it must be their fault. It can appear to some that they have high ego’s in thinking that the world evolves around them by always thinking they are at the fore of all problems, and yet in contrast, they don’t deem themselves worthy. It’s a vicious circle, a dark rut that many find impossible to break free from. Stray shows the ups and downs -addiction at it’s worst and those that have beaten it.

Mark Matthews, a therapist himself, has written with delicacy and care. The dark moments are written in such a way that the reader is completely aware of the scene, however Matthews has written so carefully as to not horrify or appal the reader. I congratulate the author on writing in a very sensitive manner. For what is such a serious subject matter, Stray is quite refreshing at times albeit gritty and realistic.

A copy of Stray was provided by the author in return for an honest and fair review.

Stray is available at Amazon US and Amazon UK.

Reviewed by Caroline Barker

December 1, 2013 by Caroline Barker

Demonica by Will Davis plus 2 free ebook GIVEAWAYS

Demonica_Cover_(Resized)

The dark, psychological, modern day fairy tale and horror ‘Demonica’ by Will Davis is released today by Hashtag Books!

Already a renowned author, Will Davis is already published by Bloomsbury and a prize winning author for his debut novel ‘My Side of The Story’.

Check out the blurb for new novel ‘Demonica’ below followed by our review! SCROLL DOWN FOR A CHANCE TO WIN A FREE E-COPY OF DEMONICA!!!

When spoilt eighteen year old Miranda suffers a terrible accident she survives, but her face is hideously scarred.

Unable to bear what has happened to her, she locks herself away. Her only companions are Veronica, her cruel and beautiful mother, and Nelly, the sympathetic housekeeper.

For Bernard believes there is an operation that can restore Miranda’s face. But it will involve committing an unspeakable crime. A decision that will haunt her for the rest of her life…

In the tradition of Angela Carter and Daphne du Maurier, Demonica is a terrifying modern fairy tale.

Caroline’s review:-

Will Davis’ Demonica has disturbed me like no other book! This sickening, twisted, dark psychological horror will certainly overhang your mind for weeks, if not months to come. It is a brilliant read for those that enjoy reading an uncertain trail of events as the storyline for the main character, Miranda, goes from bad to worse. It sure is a dark, dark read but I love the unpredictability and how stories like this feed my morbid curiosities.

The reader does not necessarily like or sympathise with Miranda initially as she is quite mean and cruel. She is the type of girl that uses her beauty to get what she wants and being left to her own devices she regularly finds herself in some sort of mischief. However, the reader is aware of the lack of attention paid to her by her parents and can begin to understand why Miranda is the way she is.

Will Davis wastes no time in reaching the beginning of the terror with the accident that is to change Miranda’s life forever. The description and account of the accident is a very powerful, dramatic and horrifying piece of writing which is a little bit too real at times, as well as being surreal. I think this is what makes it so chilling – that it is so realistic at times!

“I landed several metres away, my body twisting terribly as I hit the earth for a second time. Then the noise and light was joined by pain. Bright red was streaking out around my eyes and this time it wasn’t my hair. It was because my head was on fire. I couldn’t move to do anything about it. I couldn’t feel my legs. All I could feel was the white hot sensation of the flames.”

After the accident Miranda’s face is left severely scarred. This is extremely difficult for her to come to terms with and so she locks herself away at home. She not only has to deal with her physical and mental scars of the accident, but she has to suffer emotional abuse from her mother, Veronica, leaving her more than completely ruined. The reader is appalled at Veronica’s reaction to her daughter. Veronica truly is cruel, making her own daughter call her Veronica and indulging in beauty treatments and men right before Miranda’s eyes.

Hatred is probably the feeling the reader has for Veronica. Just like the feelings a little girl has for all of those step-mothers of princesses in traditional fairytales. Within the actual story, Demonica has been likened to Beauty and the Beast and Cinderella. We’ve all come to learn the traditional fairytales where the role of the step-mother is to be jealous of their step-daughters and cause or plan to harm them. However, in this instance it is Miranda’s birth mother – which makes it even more bewildering for the reader to believe and this creates very dark, passionate feelings of hate towards Veronica. The reader feels Miranda’s pain and can easily sympathise with her at this point.

Miranda received her care and attention from their housekeeper, Nelly. I absolutely adored the character, Nelly. Nelly saw sense and was aware of the relationship that Miranda had with Veronica. Nelly, although always kind and caring, was also very matter-of-fact, and tried to encourage Miranda to make the most of what she had. Nelly was always very accepting of Miranda and made everything sound so practical. These moments lightened the mood a little and the reader is grateful for Nelly’s input as she is someone who sees sense and can hopefully give Miranda a nudge in the right direction.

However, to make matters worse still, Miranda begins to fall for one of Veronica’s male friends, Bernard. Apart from Nelly, he is the only one to take notice of her and not be horrified of her looks but accept her for who she is. Bernard provides hope for Miranda that one day she will look beautiful again with the help of a surgeon he is familiar with. To go ahead would mean that Miranda would have to carry out a twisted, immoral crime for her own selfish reasons. But will it work out? Will it be worth it?

Demonica surely provides the reader with many emotions, which are constantly changing from one extreme to another. Morals are certainly questioned and I found myself trying to empathise with Miranda’s situation. However, I’m sure many readers would agree that Miranda made a sickening choice, despite what she had been through prior to her decision, to go along with Bernard’s hint of a suggestion. This selfish decision surely did haunt Miranda forever and readers will question Miranda’s integrity!

I found it fascinating that there was not a true hero/heroine in Demonica. Nelly would be my heroine of the whole story even though she is more of a supporting character. I think, for me, that this is what makes Demonica quite realistic as many of the characters are flawed, just as many people are. It is not the fact that there are good and bad but the fact that we are all both. Only in Demonica, the bad is really bad, downright cruel and completely unforgiveable. As a reader, you’re mind will be scarred after experiencing Demonica. Be warned!

An Advanced Reader’s Copy was provided by Tim O’Rourke of Hashtag Books for the purpose of an honest and fair review.

Will Davis’ Demonica is now available on Amazon UK and Amazon US. For more information please check out Hashtag Books.

FOR A CHANCE TO WIN A FREE E-COPY OF DEMONICA PLEASE ADD YOUR NAME IN THE COMMENTS BELOW! THE CLOSING DATE WILL BE FRIDAY 13TH DECEMBER 2013!

The lucky winners will be randomly selected on this date! Good luck everyone!!!

Reviewed by Caroline Barker

September 25, 2013 by Caroline Barker

The One Percenters by John Podgursky

The One Percenters

In this dark psychological thriller/horror, The One Percenters, the reader has an insight into the mind of Edward Caine, who believes himself to be a one-percenter. A one percenter is one that can assist the natural selection process by ending the lives of those that do not seem fit to breed. Those that are only alive due to advances in medicine, technology and money.

Edward did not always think in this manner but after his wife’s rape and murder by a serial killer his mind drifts over time (and over a drink or two!) and he begins his mentally spiralling journey. His wife, Jill, was a good, loving human being with a kind heart. She was innocent. She didn’t deserve to die. In fact, Jill would have been perfect in the natural selection process, with her beauty and all. She most definitely wouldn’t have been picked by a one percenter!

Ed’s character, I thought, was fairly easy to connect with considering all he had been through with Jill. He is bitter and begins wanting revenge for her murder. However, as his thoughts become so dark as to even consider taking lives of those that had absolutely nothing to do with what happened, the reader begins to understand how disturbed this guy is. Although the connection largely gets lost by this point, I felt I just had to read on to know the outcome as John Podgursky leaves the reader asking questions of what path Ed is going to take and what will become of him.

In the beginning, even though it is a serious subject matter and Ed is in a state of depression and drink after losing Jill, he is so open with his thoughts that some off-the-wall suggestions and sarcastic, cynical remarks are made. However, as the novel continues it does become much more darker and serious.

The story is told from Ed’s POV. The written style of The One Percenters is as if Ed were talking to the reader directly as he tells his story in first person, past tense and the use of language is quite direct. The use of the direct and casual language can, at times, lighten the mood by making Ed’s cynical, sarcastic remarks a little comical. Because of this, I did find myself smiling to myself in some instances at Ed’s dry humour. Due to the written style it is a fairly quick read and set at a reasonable pace.

I was initially surprised as it read as a narrative from Ed’s POV. I was expecting the story to be told in third person, however after reading the story, that idea certainly wouldn’t work so well on the psychological side. I was also expecting the story to follow fellow one-percenter , as the synopsis mentioned ‘Edward and his brethren’. The further into the book you delve the more psycholgical horror you come across as Ed’s actions and indeed his thoughts become darker and darker. This story is definitely not for the faint of heart. The One Percenters is an adult read due to the seriousness of Ed’s thoughts and the violence and pyschological horror that this story offers.

There is a reference to ‘Doctor’ every now and then. This makes the reader think that Ed is possibly speaking to a psychiatrist at the end of the book. Will this be revealed towards the end? What will become of Ed, and will he accomplish what he set out to do? The reader has many questions and must read to the very end to reveal the full truth of this great thriller.

It is the significance of Jill’s rape and murder that start Ed’s pyschological problems. She was so innocent, so helpless. Ed begins to question the behaviour of humans and life, which leads to him believing that those that are ill, are ill for a reason: they are weak and so must die. It is only through money, technology and medicine that the ill are kept alive. This in-turn allows them to breed and pass on their weak genes and possibly weakening mankind. He, as a chosen one-percenter must help control this and eliminate these people. Will Ed allow his thoughts to control his actions, or will he give in?

I would like to thank the author, John Podgursky, for providing us a copy of his book in return for an honest and fair review. If you would like to contact the author, you can e-mail him at darwinspal@hotmail.com.

Reviewed by Caroline Barker

July 31, 2013 by Caroline Barker

White Chalk by Pavarti K. Tyler – Blog Tour

Firstly, I would like to thank Amina Black for inviting A Reader’s Review Blog to read and post a review of Pavarti K. Tyler’s recently released novel, White Chalk!

White Chalk

White Chalk by Pavarti K. Tyler is an extremely raw and gritty psychological coming-of-age story and is recommended for adult readers, at least 17yrs and over.

Book Blurb:

Chelle isn’t a typical 13-year-old girl—she doesn’t laugh with friends, play sports, or hang out at the mall after school. Instead, she navigates a world well beyond her years.

Life in Dawson, ND spins on as she grasps at people, pleading for someone to save her—to return her to the simple childhood of unicorns on her bedroom wall and stories on her father’s knee.

When Troy Christiansen walks into her life, Chelle is desperate to believe his arrival will be her salvation. So much so, she forgets to save herself. After experiencing a tragedy at school, her world begins to crack, causing a deeper scar in her already fragile psyche.

Follow Chelle’s twisted tale of modern adolescence, as she travels down the rabbit hole into a reality none of us wants to admit actually exists.

White Chalk delves heavily into the life of a young teenage girl, Chelle, who feels like she doesn’t belong to any particular group of people. Her parents mostly ignore her, as her father drinks himself silly while her mother works stupendously to make ends meet. Meanwhile, Chelle is left mostly to carry out the more mundane aspects of life with the housework and laundry instead of having fun and enjoying her young life. Chelle is lost and alone, with very little self-esteem and, as you can imagine at the age of thirteen, she is sensitive and needy. A desperate soul is one way to describe this thirteen year old girl.

Chelle’s life has a glimmer of hope when she notices newcomer Troy Christiansen at her high school. Will Troy be the answer she is looking for? Can he be her Mr. Right and save her from her mundane life? Or is she pinning all of her hopes on one person?

As an adult reader this novel truly takes you back to the harsh reality of how it once felt at times to be a teenager, constantly feeling unsure of where you belong, searching for your own identity and confidence as well as hoping for Mr. Right to turn up.

White Chalk is certainly a very dark side of teenagehood. Chelle is at the point in her life where she longs to be needed and wanted both physically and emotionally and, because of these reasons, there are moments when the reader feels that she would give herself freely to anyone that wanted her – with the exception of Sebastian who appears to be a nice lad who is genuinely interested in her!

As Chelle’s life has been spiralling downward for a while, it isn’t too much of a surprise when the reader is made aware of her regular extra-curricular activities with Mr. Harris! I am no expert by all means, however I believe that due to the lack of attention her parents provide as well as not ‘fitting in’ at school, it is the desperation of wanting to be wanted, someone to pay attention and treat her with some form of affection that leads Chelle down this dark and seedy path. Of course at her young age she feels that at least someone wants her. This novel is certainly not for the faint hearted or for anyone looking for too much fun. However, the drama and psychological element of White Chalk pulls you in to where Chelle is at and you cannot ignore her. You have to keep on reading!!

Developing gradually throughout the story, Chelle finds friendship in Cat. Cat is older than Chelle, has her own apartment and works in a music store. Cat certainly grows on the reader as she looks out for Chelle and becomes the only person that Chelle can confide in. She does provide comfort and support for Chelle and despite the initial reaction to Cat she really is a likeable character.

White Chalk has a dark and twisting path from beginning to end and is certainly a novel you will not forget in a hurry. It hangs over you, gripping you, without any solution as to how to help Chelle – apart from hoping that Troy will pull through for her. He notices Chelle, he takes care of her and throughout the novel the reader begins to pin all of their hopes in him too!

A copy of White Chalk was provided by Amina Black (blog tour host) for the purpose of an honest and fair review. You can find a list of websites/blogs where the White Chalk blog tour will go, along with dates the reviews are due to be scheduled for each site below.

For a chance to win a White Chalk Paperback, Amazon Gift Card and a Pavarti Swag Pack click on the link for a Rafflecopter giveaway

Reviewed by Caroline Barker