SHARKMAN by Steve Alten

October 17, 2014

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Steve Alten has written books about aberrations of nature as well as science fiction. For example, his first books were about attacks by giant sharks. ( The Meg series).

Sharkman is narrated in first person by the individual whose experiences delineate the events that are depicted in the novel. Kwan Wilson is the son of an American Admiral and Asian woman that met during time of war. His father was forced to marry the girl and take her to the U.S. when she became pregnant.

Kwan was a bright student and an athlete playing basketball for his high school. in one fateful night as he was driving his mother home he became distracted while texting, crashed the car, killing his mother and coming out of the accident as a paraplegic confined to a wheel chair. His father, who traveled quite a bit due to his job in the navy, sent him to live with his maternal grandmother in south Florida.

Depressed by his condition, Kwan jumps on an opportunity described by the principal of his new school about a laboratory in Miami working on shark stem cells as a possible treatment for both cancer and spinal injuries. He volunteers and gets himself assigned to the lab where he is in time to witness one of the first real breakthroughs in their work. Kwan decides to inject himself with the serum developed thinking that if it either helps him to walk again or kills him his problems will be solved.

Alten has become an expert on sharks and shark behavior and incorporates this knowledge into the book making it a fascinating read. Kwan is the principal character, and fleshed out very well, but we also meet a prospective love interest of his. Kwan’s father is not what he seems to be and his actions bring us to a rewarding ending, but does leave plenty of room for a followup book. Fast reading keeping the reader glued to the novel, and sure to welcome a followup by him or her.

10/14 Paul Lane

SHARKMAN by Steve Alten. Taylor Trade Publishing (October 7, 2014). ISBN 978-1630760199. 272p.

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THE LAST TOWN by Blake Crouch

October 11, 2014

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The Wayward Pines Trilogy Book 3

Ethan Burke’s life has been turned upside down. Just a few weeks ago he was sent to the small town of Wayward Pines on a case involving two missing agents. When he arrived, he found that nothing in the case was as it seemed and that Wayward Pines – a town that appeared to be perfect in every way – was hiding a big secret.

Built by a scientist named David Pilcher, Wayward Pines was meant to be a last stand against the end of humanity. But the truth about the town was kept hidden from its inhabitants. At least until Ethan arrived. Now everyone is privy to Pilcher’s agenda and all hell has broken loose. The gates that protected the town from the dangers that surround it have been breached and everyone in Wayward Pines is in grave danger.

This third and final installment in Blake Crouch’s Pines trilogy manages to close out the series without giving the reader real closure. All in all it is a somewhat satisfying end to what has been a roller coaster series and yet the story’s coda still leaves the reader hanging.

The surprise addition in Wayward is revealed in The Last Town – a little bonus to Pilcher’s screwing over Ethan, which adds to the tension built by throwing an entire town to the wolves (or abbies). We learn, too, that some of the characters here are truly unredeemable.

The Pines trilogy is super fun, definitely recommended reading this fall, and I truly can’t wait to see how the show will play out next year. I’m not sure how I feel about the end, though. On the one hand I actually appreciate the loose thread and the wondering. On the other, after zipping through all three installments I would have liked a less open ending.

10/14 Becky LeJeune

THE LAST TOWN by Blake Crouch. Thomas & Mercer (July 15, 2014). ISBN 978-1477822586. 306p.

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Posted by Stacy Alesi

HORRORSTÖR by Grady Hendrix

October 5, 2014

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The newest addition to the Orsk family of Ohio stores has been experiencing some… weirdness. Furniture is shifted around and defaced overnight when the store is supposed to be empty. The bathroom graffiti has gotten truly out of control. And now corporate is arriving to investigate.

The manager is at his wit’s end when he asks two fellow employees to stay behind for an overnight in hopes they can find the person responsible for all the damage. Not long after their extended shift begins, however, the three find that another set of employees has stayed behind as well. These two are conducting a supernatural investigation in hopes of finding ghosts on the premises. Turns out the store’s location has something of a shady past, one that’s convinced some Orsk employees that the problems are otherworldly in origin. As the night progresses, each one of them will find that this retail job really could kill them.

Oh, this was the most fun ever. Horrorstör is not only set in an Ikea-like wonderland, the book is designed to resemble the catalog.

If you think the gimmick and fancy design might detract from the story, you have absolutely nothing to fear. Hendrix’s tale is one filled with sarcastic minimum wagers facing down existential crises as well as supernatural spooks. It’s a win-win in my opinion; a clever premise, a crafty plot, and a wonderfully constructed package poking fun at everyone’s favorite flat-pack furniture store.

10/14 Becky LeJeune

HORRORSTÖR by Grady Hendrix. Quirk Books (September 23, 2014). ISBN 978-1594745263. 240p.

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WAYWARD by Blake Crouch

September 29, 2014

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The Wayward Pines Trilogy Book 2

Two weeks ago, Special Agent Ethan Burke woke up in Wayward Pines. He was told that he’d been in an accident, but he soon found that nothing was quite as it seemed.

Now he’s been tasked with policing the town and he’s one of the few who knows the truth about its existence. It’s a truth that he cannot reveal even to his own family, but the secrets might just be too much to bear.

Ethan’s concerns about hiding the true nature of Wayward Pines soon take a backseat, however, when he discovers there’s been a murder in the town. This kind of crime in Wayward Pines is all but unheard of and when he finds out the identity of the victim things become even more complicated.

Crouch ratcheted up the intensity in this second installment by adding an actual murder. While observing Burke in trying to maintain the front that’s being perpetuated by Pilcher and his other insiders makes for an interesting and conflict laden scenario, the wrinkle in having to investigate a crime in Wayward Pines is all the more engaging. There are some fun flashbacks into Pilcher’s creation of Wayward Pines as well as a mysterious nomadic character roaming around beyond the town in this one, too.

This second in Blake Crouch’s Wayward Pines trilogy maintains the feverish pace and non-stop action that I enjoyed in Pines. There is a sense of relief, however, in finally knowing the secret of the town.

09/14 Becky LeJeune

WAYWARD by Blake Crouch. Thomas & Mercer (September 17, 2013). ISBN 978-1477808702. 322p.

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PINES by Blake Crouch

September 20, 2014

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The Wayward Pines Trilogy Book 1

Special Agent Ethan Burke was investigating the disappearance of two fellow agents when the car he was riding in was broadsided by a Mack truck. When he woke, he had little to no memory of the crash at all, nor could he recall how he wound up lying next to a river in the small town of Wayward Pines.

As his memory returns, though, he begins to realize there’s something strange going on. His phone and ID are missing, his phone calls to his boss go ignored, and he can barely remember his home phone number. What’s more, it seems someone or something is intent on his staying in Wayward Pines.

I kind of loved Blake Crouch’s Pines. It first caught my interest when I learned that FOX had picked up the small screen adaptation (produced by M. Night Shyamalan) for 2015. The trailer is quirky and the cast is a literal who’s who of big name Hollywood stars. In short, I was sold. When I found out it was based on Crouch’s trilogy, I knew I had to start reading. What a ride it turned out to be.

Part of the appeal in the book is the wondering and to tell much more would be to ruin that for potential readers. I can’t wait to see how it comes across on TV and really do hope that they’re able to pull it off.

09/14 Becky LeJeune

NOTE from the editor: This book made my Best of 2012 list:

PINES by Blake Crouch: This is a genre-bending, completely riveting thrill ride, which mixes suspense, horror, science fiction and dystopian nightmare all rolled up into one unputdownable book. Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

PINES by Blake Crouch. Thomas & Mercer (August 21, 2012). ISBN 978-1612183954. 320p.

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DEAD OF NIGHT by Jonathan Maberry

September 7, 2014

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Dead of Night Series (Book 1)

Stebbins County, Pennsylvania is in for a rough night. With a dangerous storm in their midst, many of the people in the area are unaware of another more pressing danger.

Notorious serial killer Homer Gibbons has recently been executed and has been secretly transported to Stebbins County where his only living relative has insisted on burying him. Locals are unaware of the connection – everyone had thought Gibbons had no living relatives at all – and it’s this change of plan that sets Stebbins County and its citizens on an awful and catastrophic path. See Gibbons isn’t dead, at least not in the traditional sense. Gibbons has been the focus of a very secret and deadly experiment, an infection that will soon be unleashed on an unsuspecting community.

Maberry is a longtime favorite for horror fans. His Pine Deep trilogy is hailed as a phenomenal debut series and his Joe Ledger books are the perfect blend of science fiction, horror, and action. Dead of Night delivers on all fronts – it’s a zombie apocalypse tale that begins with a science experiment gone wrong. Of course everything works together to become a perfect storm for the spread of the zombie plague and before long the fictional Stebbins County is all but done for. But only just – there is a sequel, after all.

While the reader gets a glimpse at many of the area’s inhabitants, the main focuses of the story are Dez Foz, a local cop with a military background and serious abandonment issues, and her ex Billy Trout, a regional newsman. Trout uncovers the truth behind the outbreak just as Dez is facing it down. And as their home gets literally torn apart, they both have to come to terms with the impossible and try and figure out a way of surviving it. Basic zombie apocalypse fare but with a style and flair that’s all Maberry.

9/14 Becky Lejeune

DEAD OF NIGHT by Jonathan Maberry. St. Martin’s Griffin; Original edition (October 25, 2011). ISBN 978-0312552190. 368p.

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SERVANTS OF THE STORM by Delilah S. Dawson

August 14, 2014

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Dovey has spent much of the year since Hurricane Josephine hit Savannah in a drug-induced haze. The loss of her best friend Carly – who was swept away in the storm before Dovey’s own eyes – hit her harder than anyone expected. But the pills that are supposed to keep Dovey calm and guard against the episodes that increased in occurrence and intensity after the storm leave Dovey a shadow of her former self. Her memory is plagued with fog and holes and now she’s starting to see things she suspects may not be real. Like Carly.

Dovey drops her meds and immediately begins to see things more clearly. Then she sees Carly again. Dovey chases her into a strange part of the city and thus begins a terrifying adventure.

Delilah S. Dawson’s teen debut is completely creepy and odd, just what I’d expect based on her Blud series for adults.

I loved the progression of the story. It begins with the hurricane and then jumps to almost a year later. With the exception of the storm aftermath, everything in Dovey’s world is achingly normal. Then she sees her dead friend and it all goes downhill from there. Servants takes on a bit of an Alice in Wonderland feel (if Alice were packed with even more bizarre and murderous characters than it already is) as Dovey’s world is turned upside down.

Servants of the Storm is a teen read but I think it’s quite dark and unique – enough to satisfy Dawson’s Blud fans for sure. And while there’s no connection to that series there is a fabulously chilling abandoned amusement park that’s certainly reminiscent of Criminy Stain’s carnival.

8/14 Becky Lejeune

SERVANTS OF THE STORM by Delilah S. Dawson. Simon Pulse (August 5, 2014). ISBN 978-1442483781. 384p.

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THE GIRL FROM THE WELL by Rin Chupeco

August 9, 2014

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Tark has lived most of his life in a state of fear. When he was very young, his mother tried to kill him. She has since been institutionalized but there has never been any explanation for her actions. Nor has there ever been any explanation for the tattoos she adorned him with when he was a small boy.

Okiku is a spirit whose sole purpose has become avenging the deaths of children. And while Tark isn’t a victim yet, there’s something about him that fascinates the ghost. Something that draws the dark and malevolent to the boy. Something only Okiku can protect him from.

Rin Chupeco’s debut is a little hard to sum up in a nutshell. There’s a lot going on. The main character here is Okiku, of the legend “Okiku and the Nine Plates” – the same legend that inspired The Ring and many other horror films. She is a vengeful spirit who becomes drawn to Tark for reasons even she doesn’t quite understand and ends up vowing to protect him. Interestingly, the story is told from Okiku’s point of view, which is just the first thing that makes The Girl From the Well a pretty stand out read.

Tark is a very special boy indeed and his problems extend well beyond that of an ordinary teen. As his story unfolds, he and his family end up traveling to Japan where eventually the truth behind his mother’s madness is explained.

Chupeco’s use of Japanese folklore elevates this story beyond much of the usual horror fare. Okiku alone would have made The Girl From the Well reminiscent of The Ring, The Grudge, etc but she’s really just the tip of the iceberg. All in all I found Chupeco’s first outing to be frightening and enthralling.

8/14 Becky Lejeune

THE GIRL FROM THE WELL by Rin Chupeco. Sourcebooks Fire (August 5, 2014). ISBN 978-1402292187. 272p.

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BLISS HOUSE by Laura Benedict

August 2, 2014

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Almost everyone in Old Gate can agree that there’s something very wrong with Bliss House. It has a history that’s marred by tragedy, but Rainey Adams doesn’t set any stock in such matters. It’s just a house. The recent incident didn’t even occur in the house itself, but outside on the grounds. And it’s exactly that incident that put Bliss House in Rainey’s budget.

The move to Old Gate is a much-needed fresh start for Rainey and her teenage daughter and Bliss House is the kind of project any interior designer can lose themselves in. It’s exactly what Rainey needs to distract herself from the tragic loss of her husband. But it’s Ariel Rainey hopes will really benefit from the move. The accident that claimed her father’s life also left the girl physically scarred and disfigured. As a result she’s become more sullen with each passing day, even going so far as to refuse to leave the house.

At first, Ariel has mixed feelings about the move: sure it’s an escape from her past but she resents her mother’s efforts. It doesn’t take long for Ariel to warm to their new home, though. She feels a connection to the house and is certain that since moving in her scars have begun to fade and her limbs have begun to strengthen. But Bliss House is changing Ariel in other ways as well. As the house begins to reveal its secrets to the teen, Rainey realizes that Bliss House may not be the salvation she’d once hoped it would be.

Laura Benedict’s latest is just the first of what I hope will be many Bliss House stories to come.

Bliss House features a bit of a dual storyline. Benedict kicks it off with Allison, a young girl newly involved with a young man named Michael. Their budding relationship is anything but rosy, though, and Allison soon finds herself Michael’s prisoner. Decades later Rainey – a Bliss by blood – arrives to once again lay claim to the historic family home. It comes as no surprise then when Benedict quickly reveals to the reader that Rainey had a cousin named Michael who’s been missing for quite some time.

As the story unravels Benedict spins a web of sex and seduction, madness and murder, and love and loss. It’s a haunted house story with many layers, all of which come together to make Bliss House a chilling and atmospheric read.

8/14 Becky Lejeune

BLISS HOUSE by Laura Benedict. Pegasus (June 15, 2014). ISBN 978-1605985725. 400p.

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THE BEST HORROR OF THE YEAR edited by Ellen Datlow

July 19, 2014

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Volume 6

From nightmarish visions to vengeance of the worst kind, editor Ellen Datlow’s latest anthology features new horror of every possible imagining.

In “The Fox” by Conrad Williams, a family vacation takes a dark and treacherous turn. Priya Sharma’s “The Anatomist’s Mnemonic” features a character whose fetish becomes an obsession he can no longer ignore. Neil Gaiman’s “Down to a Sunless Sea,” which first appeared in The Guardian and later in the Fearie Tales collection edited by Stephen Jones, is a chilling tale of death at sea. Hitchcock himself makes an appearance of sorts in Kim Newman’s “The Only Ending We Have.” And Brian Hodge takes readers back to Lovecraft’s Innsmouth in “The Same Deep Waters as You.”

Each of the twenty-four tales appearing in the anthology were new in print in 2013 and interestingly eleven of the authors included are completely new to this anthology series. Some of the stories are horrifying while others are more eerie and quiet and some are downright bizarre. Whatever your particular horror taste may be, though, this latest Best Horror of the Year is sure to have something perfect for you and may even turn you on to a few new authors as well.

Table of Contents:
“Apports” by Stephen Bacon
“Mr. Splitfoot” by Dale Bailey
“The Good Husband” by Nathan Ballingrud
“The Tiger” by Nina Allan
“The House on Cobb Street” by Lynda E. Rucker
“The Soul in the Bell Jar” by KJ Kabza
“Call Out” by Steve Toase
“The Tiny Flutter of the Heart I Used to Call Love” by Robert Shearman
“Bones of Crow” by Ray Cluley
“Introduction to the Body in Fairy Tales” by Jeannine Hall Gailey
“The Fox” by Conrad Williams
“The Tin House” by Simon Clark
“Stemming the Tide” by Simon Stranzas
“The Anatomist’s Mnemonic” by Priya Sharma
“The Monster Makers” by Steve Rasnic Tem
“The Only Ending We Have” by Kim Newman
“The Dog’s Paw” by Derek Künsken
“Fine in the Fire” by Lee Thomas
“Majorlena” by Jane Jakeman
“The Withering” by Tim Casson
“Down to a Sunless Sea” by Neil Gaiman
“Jaws of Saturn” by Laird Barron
“Halfway Home” by Linda Nagata
“The Same Deep Waters as You” by Brian Hodge

7/14 Becky Lejeune

THE BEST HORROR OF THE YEAR edited by Ellen Datlow. Night Shade Books (June 3, 2014). ISBN 978-1597805032. 448p.

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