Smile for the Cameras by Miranda Smith

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and author for providing me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

Warning: Contains Spoilers

Ella is a former actress looking to break back into the entertainment business after her mother dies. The only catch is that she needs to attend the reunion of a slasher movie she did 20 years ago. There she reunites with her former cast to begin the weekend, only old secrets begin to surface. A deadly secret Ella and her cast mates share resurfaces, and people start dying in ways similar to those in their slasher movie, Grad Night. Ella needs to figure out if she will let the killer and guilt get to her or reprise her role as the Final Girl.

The book is told in three different ways: Then, Now, and the script of the movie the book is based on. At first, I thought I wasn't going to like it that way, that there could be some confusion with the story and timeline. But that wasn't the case. It was necessary for the story, especially when people start dying the way the deaths happened in the movie. Very well done.

What I loved most about this book was how it read. The characters were good, yes. I cared about Ella. I felt connected to Ella, especially with her anxiety. Even that wasn't the best part. The book read like a slasher movie. A campy, somewhat predictable (not a bad thing, plus there are some surprises) slasher movie we all know and love. Not to mention the nostalgia factor. Us horror buffs often wish for reunions or reboots (if done right) of our favorite horror movies and/or franchises (I'm looking at you, Nightmare on Elm Street). And you can clearly see the movies that the author borrowed ideas from. If the author isn't a horror fan, I'd honestly be surprised.

The book was a fun and quick read. Perfect for any horror fan, but especially those who are fond of slasher flicks. Do yourselves a favor this summer and get yourselves a copy of this book. I know I will. I plan on giving this another read over the summer by the fire pit before I settle in for a Friday the 13th marathon.

5/5

The Serial Killer Support Group by DB Stephens

 Thank you netgalley, the publishers, and DB Stephens for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Book contains subject matter that some readers may find disturbing. Book talks about domestic violence. Review contains spoilers.

On New Years Eve a young woman named Jess is abused by her boyfriend, which lands her in the hospital. Knowing she can not continue to stay in this relationship, she leaves. A flyer that had been shoved into her hands, advertises a domestic violence support group. Needing help, she attends, meeting women who are just like her. The group gives her life back. She forms a bond with these women, gains back her confidence, and stands up to her abusive ex.

We are also introduced to The Caretaker. A nameless man, a vigilante. He has one purpose, and that's to make these abusive men pay. At first he attacks these men the same way they attacked their partners. Then it elevates to murder. The victims, all the abusers of the women in the group. The police, especially a Sgt Salam, needs to figure out who the killer is. But is the killer a man or someone else? That's where the serial killer support group comes into play.

I have to say, I loved this book. It hits you right in the face from the start. It can get a bit brutal when describing the violence towards the men, but scales back when referring to the women. Don't get me wrong, it can be a bit graphic, but there is a respect given. Jess, the main character, grows as a person. And I found myself loving her and cheering for her when she stood up for herself. I suppose the criticism I have is with Sgt Salam. Not so much her as a character. She is a domestic abuse survivor, and while that's super important for this book, the brief introduction from her abuser wasn't. It was two lines and then nothing. Unnecessary. You don't have to introduce the abuser to show the damage he has done. Overall, I loved this book. And this is one of the books I will purchase a copy of when it comes out. Not something I do often. I suggest you do the same when it comes out.

5/5

The Cut by CJ Dotson

Thank you Netgalley, the publishers, and CJ Dotson for an ARC in exchange for my honest review. Some readers may find the content upsetting. Contains spoilers.

Sadie Miles takes her toddler and runs from her abusive fiance, finding herself in a sleepy lake side town in Ohio, looking for a fresh start. In order for her to start her new life, she needs a job. This is where she finds herself a house keeping job at the L'Arpin hotel. From the first night she starts noticing strange things happening at the hotel. Guests mysteriously disappearing, co workers disappearing, and strange tentacle creatures that come from the water. No one believes anything Sadie claims she has seen. Writing it off as paranoia due to her pregnancy. But the truth is, they are all hiding something sinister. This includes Gertie, the kind old lady who took care of her daughter for her while she worked. Sadie finds herself in the fight of her life against the hotel, the tentacle creatures, and her abusive ex Sam(but don't worry, he gets what's coming to him).

I have to say I love this book. I got an uneasy feeling from the beginning, in the best way possible. And what I thought would be a haunted house story, changed into a monster story, leaving me pleasantly surprised. CJ Dotson did a wonderful job referencing domestic violence without being graphic. Proving you can tackle sensitive subject matter respectfully. I would have liked more character development with Sadie, but I suppose can't fault her for not growing, given her situation. Maybe more of an explanation about the lake and the creatures. With that being said, I really did enjoy this book and would read again. 

4/5 

What Happened At Hawthorne House by Hadassah Shiradski

 Review contains spoilers....

Thank you net galley and Hadassah Shiradski for a copy in exchange for !y honest review.

This novella is about a children's game that turns sinister and the consequences of the game. Contains subject matter that may be upsetting to some readers.

This book takes place at an orphanage in 1929. A group of girls come up with a game called The Clover Court, where much like real life royalty, the Queen holds the power. It starts out innocent enough. Girls vying for the position of queen, where they hold power in the game and amongst the girls in their day to day. At first I was bored. Girls being mean. Yawn. We get it. But then it turns sinister. And yes, that's where it got my attention. These girls turn violent on top of their cruelness. And it ends with their death. That held my attention.

And then we get the second half. While I love that we get what leads to the haunted house,it falls flat on the haunted house part. The house is being rebuilt and a medium is overseeing the development. His goal is the rebuild the Hawthorne House while he attempts to finish the game and set the girls free. This never happens. It just ends after a group of what I assume mediums enter, years after the house is rebuilt. Just nothing. It ends. No solution, good or bad. Very unsatisfying to a book that started out strong.

The first half had me on the edge of my seat. The second half was a struggle for me to finish. So much more could have been done to bring this novella full circle. To end it. Honestly would not read again and would only recommend you read the first half. The ending of the first half is enough to get you what you need from this novella.

3/5 rating

Amber Hollow by Edgar Swamp

I was given this book for free in exchange for an honest review.
(may contain spoilers)

In 1991, an isolated village in Northern Wisconsin is ground zero for an unprecedented, fiery tragedy. Of the community's 600 residents, there are only five survivors. Detailed accounts by the victims contradict each other; the only link is a man named Anthony Guntram, but because he is presumed to be dead, this claim can't be verified. Further investigations reveal a culture enshrouded in mystery. What are the survivors hiding? Only the villagers know the secret of Amber Hollow, a place where sanity is checked at the town line and the parameters of reality become blurred. An unconventional horror story by design, Edgar Swamp delivers an action-driven page-turner that will keep readers guessing until the calamitous ending.

Let me preface by saying this. Books like this are the reason I love indie authors so much. I find more gems than duds, and I definitely am going to look into more of this authors books.

When you first start the book, you think you are going to read a crime thriller. A huge fire kills an entire village, except for five. And those five survivors have different stories that don't match up with the crime scene. Two detectives are tasked with finding out the truth. As they get closer to the truth, it only gets weirder and weirder. You will start to notice that this book isn't necessarily a crime thriller, but supernatural/horror. If you know anything about me, you'll know that I love this stuff. I especially love this stuff if it's done right, and for the most part it is.

The pacing in this book was perfect. It kept moving. It didn't seem like it was rushed to finish. But it was quick, and if you read through, you will know why. It seemed quick, because there was a deadline to find out what was happening with these survivors and what was happening to the village.

There were some eye rolling moments (Agent Scully, really?). The ending was great except for one thing. It jumped into more of a monster like creature than anything demon like, which is referenced through flashbacks in the book. That was a bit disappointing to me. At least it ended with you finding out what happens to all the characters introduced in this book. Not to mention a healthy dose of vengeance.

I truly enjoyed this book. It was interesting and it was thrilling. I definitely recommend adding this book to your TBR pile, and while you're add it, add this author in general to that pile as well. This book is a hidden gem amongst the supernatural genre, and I know you will all enjoy it.




Edgar Swamp is the author of the “Gyre Mission,” “Glitch in the Machine,” and “Blackout.” His short stories have appeared in Alienskin, Macabre Cadaver, and Urban Reinventors. When he isn’t holed up in his office playing online poker, he likes to dig up the recently deceased and make furniture out of their skin. He lives and works in San Diego, California.

The Lost Causes of Bleak Creek by Rhett McLaughlin & Link Neal

This book was written by Rhett and Link from Good Mythical Morning. If you have ever watched their youtube show, you can see where their personalities rub off in this book (tomatoes ring a bell?)

Bleak Creek is a town know for it's Whitewood school. A school that supposedly takes troubled kids and sets them on a straighter path. Of course, that's just a facade for something far more sinister. Kids are not brought to the school to become better, they are brought there as potential sacrifices. Three best friends and a group of others, try to save each other, with the help of a few others.

Was this the best written book I've ever read? No. I wasn't expecting it to be. I was hoping that it would have Rhett and Link's personalities, because that's what I know and love. It did. You can clearly see it throughout the book, as well as seeing that the characters were based off them. It was a fast read, but entertaining throughout, so I didn't have much of an issue with that. I would have liked if there was a bit more to certain parts of the story. More to the story about Whitewood himself, more to the story about the town following him, and more to the story about the springs in Bleak Creek. Just to help make sense of the story a little better. I'm hoping for a sequel or even a prequel to this particular novel, if so, maybe we can get the full story of Bleak Creek and what lies beyond the springs.

Definitely recommend this book. If you're a fan of Rhett and Link, if you're a fan of thriller/horror novels, or coming of age stories, this is a book for you.

The Deep by Alma Katsu

This book was given to me by the publisher via edelweiss  for an honest review. This review also appears in Goodreads (feel free to follow me there, thathorrorchick, to read reviews I do not post on here). Review contains spoilers.


I was extremely excited to be able to read this. Historical fiction is one of my favorites. The amount of research that has to go into it is  crazy. Alma definitely showed that she put in the work in regards to the research.

You follow Annie on both the Titanic and Britannic. If you know the history, you know what happened to both ships. It appears Annie is not so lucky. The book switches back and forth between the timelines on both ships. However, the timeline on the Titanic sets the story for this book. After a tragic death and seamce, something feels off on the ship. Like it's being haunted. Annie seems to sense something is wrong, especially with a couple and their baby. You find out the extent of it towards the end. Nonstick with it.

The book is a bit slow paced at.times. It does start to get a bit faster paced towards the end, and the Britannic parts seem to give that feeling of uneasiness I was looking for. I was also a bit comfused, but it does get explained thoroughly towards the end, and I appreciate that. The author knows how to paint a good picture of the story. Son you can envision the ships and characters in your head. Overall, I enjoyed this book and was happy I got the opportunity to read it.