The Sun Down Motel by Simone St. James

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Five "Intense Suspense" Stars

Eerie and Creepy!

A small taste of what lies within:

1982 - Town of Fell

Vivian Delaney takes a job at a run down motel in the town of Fell - she was supposed to be on her way to New York but did a stop over in the small town of Fell with her deciding to take a job at the motel running the night desk. Little does she know that things are not all what they seem at the motel and when one thing leads to another Vivian ends up going missing. 

2017 - Town of Fell

Thirty five years later, her niece Carly arrives in the town of Fell to see if she can track down what happened to her Aunt Vivian as no one in the family ever found out what happened so Carly decides to take it upon herself to hunt down information about her aunt. The past comes colliding with the future as Carly delves deep into the town - some people do not want to discuss the past of Fell and it will take a lot of determination of Carly to find out what exactly happened to her aunt! 

That is about all I can give on a small taste so if you want to know more than go read this book! 

Thoughts:

This was a great mystery/thriller along with a light touch of a haunting wrapped within the story. There are two timelines to keep track of as well - the book goes back and forth between the year 1982 and Vivian's story then jumps back to the present of 2017 with Carly's story.  Both timelines are intriguing. 

Usually I am not into back and forth timelines from past to future but this book was done well and the author made both timelines flow smoothly. The timeline for Vivian in 1982 will go a couple or so chapters so that the reader can grasp what is happening and then the timeline of 2017 for Carly is the same way which helps the flow of the story. 

There is quite a bit of mystery, suspense, tension, and spookiness wrapped within the story which kept me grounded into the book! I felt that the pace of the story moved quick within both timelines as I found both stories from Vivian and Carly's perspective to be mysterious and intriguing. Looking forward to reading more books by this author in the future. 

Attached is the author, Simone St. James, profile page from Goodreads:

Simone St. James

Attached is the author, Simone St. James, profile page from Amazon:

Simone St. James

Attached is my review from Goodreads:

My Review

Chills (Kathy Ryan #1) by Mary SanGiovanni

 

🌟🌟🌟🌟

Four "Chilling Cult" Stars

Spooky Suspense!

A small taste of what lies within:

The town of Colby is being hammered by a snowstorm but it is also being hammered by some ritualistic murders too. Local detective, Jack Glazer is trying to solve the crimes that a local cult may be responsible for called the Hand of the Black Stars. Not knowing what else to do he calls in Kathy Ryan who has occult experience as he hopes she can help out with solving the crimes before anyone else is murdered!

That is about all I can give on small taste without giving away spoilers, so if you want to know more than go read this book!

Thoughts:

This was my second book by this author as I had read another book in this series a few years ago not realizing at the time that the book was part of this series but the book could be read as a stand alone as the stories are different - they just have Kathy Ryan as the main character. All in all this first book was very good and has all the elements of crime and horror meshed well together. 

There is quite a bit of occult activity within this book which brings the elements of suspense, intrigue, tension, spookiness and horror flowing together within this book to the point where I found myself reading late into the night. 

I loved all the characters in this book and I thought the world building was done well as it didn't take long to draw me into the story as the author just throws the reader into the midst of the story without a lot over detailed descriptions. Looking forward to reading more books by this author in the future. 

Attached is the author, Mary Sangiovanni, profile page from Goodreads:

Mary SanGiovanni

Attached is the author, Mary Sangiovanni, profile page from Amazon:

Mary SanGiovanni

Attached is my review from Goodreads:

My Review

White Bones (Katie Maguire #1) by Graham Masterton

 

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Five "Thriller Chiller" Stars

Crime Tension & Suspense!

A small taste of what lies within:

Detective Katie Maguire has more than she can handle when a case lands in her lap of dead bodies that seem to keep piling up within her jurisdiction. Katie soon learns though that the bodies are part of ritualistic killings and she will need to do everything in her power to track down the killer before she has more bodies to deal with! 

That is about all I can give on a small taste so if you want to know more than go read this book and series!

Thoughts:

This story just slowly grabs you right from the beginning as Masterton builds up the suspense and the crimes slowly but pulls the reader straight into the storyline with visual backdrops and some bloody gory descriptions of the victims. 

There is quite bit of horror mixed with crime in this story and the book moves along at a fast pace. I loved the characters in this story and the main character, Katie is a take charge kind of character that gets things done her way. Looking forward to continuing on with the series at some point in time to see what happens next for Detective Maguire. 

Attached is the author, Graham Masterton, profile page from Goodreads:

Graham Masterton

Attached is the author, Graham Masterton, profile page from Amazon:

Graham Masterton

Attached is my review from Goodreads:

My Review

The Housemaid (The Housemaid #1) by Freida McFadden

 

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Five "Twisted Psychological Terror" Stars

Suspenseful Twists & Turns!

A small taste of what lies within:

Millie is trying to get back on her feet after being in prison so she takes a job as a maid for a prestigious couple, Andrew and Nina Winchester along with their young daughter, Cecilia. 

Millie ends up being able to live in the house with the couple but things seem strange as the only room available is an attic room that has a door lock on the outside of the door but Millie is just happy to have a job and doesn't question anything. Millie soon learns though that things are not what they seem within the house and the Winchesters are not the perfect couple as the more Millie tries to do things in the house she seems to get blamed for stuff whether she is guilty or not and most of the accusations come from Nina! 

What is going on in the house? Why is Nina giving Millie a hard time? What is the secret about the attic room? No spoilers here so if you want to know more then go read this book!

Thoughts:

This book grabbed me right away as the author pulled me straight into the storyline. I sat down to read it thinking I would read just a couple or so chapters and the next I knew I had read a few chapters and became caught up in the story. 

The suspense just slowly builds up and I loved how the story just flowed along at a quick pace as I love the writing style of the author. Lots of intense moments in this book along with tons of twists and turns that kept my insomnia fueled to the point where I had a hard time putting this book down! One of the best psychological thrillers I have read in awhile! 

Attached is the author, Freida McFadden, profile page from Goodreads:

Freida McFadden

Attached is the author, Freida McFadden, profile page from Amazon:

Freida McFadden

Attached is my review from Goodreads:

My Review

Quiet, Pretty Things by Megan Stockton

 

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Five "Thriller Chiller" Stars

Suspenseful & Intense!

A small taste of what lies within:

The town of Whitebranch has been hit with bodies of women turning up dead with puzzle game pieces found on their bodies as it seems a serial killer is stalking the town. As detectives race against time to track down the killer they are hoping that they are able to catch him before they have more bodies piling up! 

That is about all I can give on a small taste without giving away spoilers so if you want to know more then go read this book!

Thoughts:

This book just blew me away as I love a great detective/police procedural story and each chapter was for a character in the story which centers around the detectives trying to solve the case and there are also chapters of the killer with his thoughts as well.  

Everything meshed together perfectly and I loved the characters as well. I felt that the author just grabbed me and threw me into the story as I could feel everything that the detectives did as they were trying to track down the killer. The visuals of what was unfolding in the story was just laid out as I could see it all in front of me like it was on a movie screen. 

This was my first time reading this author and it won't be my last as I loved this book which will be going on my favorites shelf. 

Attached is the author, Megan Stockton, profile page from Goodreads:

Megan Stockton

Attached is the author, Megan Stockton, profile page from Amazon:

Megan Stockton

Attached is my review from Goodreads:

My Review

1775 (The Haunting of Hadlow House #3) by Amy Cross

 

🌟🌟🌟

Three "Spooky Specters" Stars

Spook Central! 

A small taste of what lies within:

The year is 1775 and two men (George and Thomas) are wanting to kill King George so that the colonies can be free, but the two men make a mistake when they hide out in Hadlow House as they don't know what they have just stepped into as Hadlow House is never really empty as old ghosts still roam its halls!

That is about all I can give on a small taste without giving away spoilers so if you want to know more than go read this book and series! The books are not stand alone - they must be read in order to understand the story. 

Thoughts:

I thought the story was good as there is quite a bit that happens within the pages and the story is kind of short being under 200 pages so it makes for a quick read. There is some ghost activity that is interesting and intriguing along with some mystery set in a historical background. That is the plus side of the story but the negative side of the story was when the author Amy Cross would mix up character names and confusion would abound of who was who while I was reading the story. 

Other than that the story just became stuck within the house some and things going on in there with the ghosts that are part of Hadlow House. I would find myself getting bored within certain parts of the story as it didn't seem to move along quite as quickly as I wanted it to.

I am curious about the rest of the series though as to how Hadlow House plays out for the future years. So I will be continuing on with the series to see what happens next.  

Attached is the author, Amy Cross, profile page from Goodreads:

Amy Cross

Attached is the author, Amy Cross, profile page from Amazon:

Amy Cross

Attached is my review from Goodreads:

My Review

Cutter's Deep: Welcome to Hell by Ronald McGillvray

 

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Five "Terror Twisted" Stars

"Horror"fic Fun! 

A small taste of what lies within:

Cutter's Deep is like no other place on earth as finding it only works if you have a certain kind of necklace charm and once you are there you can never leave. When people end up within the place it can become a nightmare to get out of and trying to leave becomes almost impossible so when Claire along with her parents end up in Cutter's Deep they wish there was a way out. 

Claire hooks up with a man named Arlington who has always known Cutter's Deep as home but as time goes on Arlington starts to realize that there might be another life "outside" of Cutter's Deep but breaking the rules of Cutter's Deep is not an option or is it? 

That is about all I can hand out with a small taste so if you want to know more than go read this book!

Thoughts:

This book was one of the coolest stories I have read in awhile as the book enfolds horror, dark fantasy, and science fiction within its pages. I had already read one book by this author which I loved and wanted to check out a full length novel by him which is this one. I am so happy that I did as I loved this book! It will definitely be going on my favorites shelf and it will definitely be worth a reread in the future. 

When I first started reading it I wasn't sure where the story would be taking me as it starts out with lots of horror and gore, but as time goes on it becomes something else as it delves deep into a dark fantasy world with highlights of sci-fi thrown in for spice. There is also a little bit of romance which was written well within this book between the two main characters of Claire and Arlington but all in all I felt that this story was unique and creative. 

The pace is fast within the story as there is always something happening in this book - there is never a dull moment and at times I would be reading either late into the night or during the night as my insomnia would kick in and I would be scrunched down in my comfy chair totally absorbed within this story!  Looking forward to reading more books by this author. 

Attached is the author, Ronald McGillvray, profile page from Goodreads:

Ronald McGillvray

Attached is the author, Ronald McGillvray, profile page from Amazon:

Ronald McGillvray

Attached is my review from Goodreads:

My Review

Dark Night of the Scarecrow 2 (2022)

 

My Rating

💀

Watched October 1st

Streaming service: Tubi

Plot/Synopsis:

When Chris Rhymer and her young son Jeremy are forced to relocate to a small rural community, they have no idea of the past terror that their presence re-awakens.

Thoughts:

It was okay - wasn't great - loved the first movie way better as it was more scarier. This movie really didn't do justice to the first movie. Though the backstory was supposed to be considered taboo by the local town folk of what had taken place years before. I felt the scarecrow villain which is supposed to be Bubba Ritter but as a ghost was not very scary either. I am glad I watched it but I won't watch it again. I would rather watch the first over and over. 

Hidden Pictures by Jason Rekulak

 

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Five "Creepy & Spooked Out" Stars

Spooky & Freaky!

A small taste of what lies within:

Mallory Quinn has had a rough road which put her in rehab and now that she is out she wants a job to help her get back on her feet. She finds one as a baby sitter for a nice couple, Ted and Caroline Maxwell as they need someone to care for their son Teddy who is five years old. 

Mallory and Teddy hit it off and she settles in with baby sitting him. The Maxwell's want her on site so they let her live in the guest cottage so that she can be around whenever they need her.  Mallory loves having her own private space but she also loves spending time with Teddy. Teddy loves to draw and color pictures which is normal but as time moves along the picture drawing takes a turn toward the abnormal and Teddy starts drawing disturbing images which causes Mallory alarm. The more she tries to make sense of it and tries to voice her opinions and fears to the Maxwell's nothing seems to work!

What is Teddy drawing? Why do the parents not seem concerned? Why is Teddy drawing disturbing images?  No spoilers here as you will need to read the book!

Thoughts:

This was my first time reading this author and I love a good mystery/supernatural story so I decided to check out this book to see what all the fuss was about. I have to admit though the story was one creepy and freaky ride into the unknown. 

I was captivated by the spooky supernatural vibes radiating throughout the story as I continued delving deeper into what was happening. I loved the characters - everyone seemed to mesh well together. I felt the character Mallory's frustration of trying to get the parents of Teddy to realize that something was wrong. 

There is lots of suspense buildup in the beginning of the story and the author included the picture drawing illustrations in the book so the readers could see what was transpiring. The pictures almost creeped me out more than the story! The pace moves along at a great flow throughout the story and not once did I get bored with what was unfolding in the storyline. Looking forward to reading more by this author in the future. 

Attached is the author, Jason Rekulak, profile page from Goodreads:

Jason Rekulak

Attached is the author, Jason Rekulak, profile page from Amazon:

Jason Rekulak

Attached is my review from Goodreads:

My Review

The Demonic by Lee Mountford

 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Five "Demon Danger" Stars

Spook Factor!

A small taste of what lies within:

Danni Morgan along with her husband, Jon and their two children Alex and Leah have gone back to Danni's old homestead where she grew up as her father passed away and she has now inherited the house and property. Though Danni has bad memories of growing up there so it is all she can do to even step foot on the property let alone decide to stay there. 

Danni just wants to go through the house and figure out what needs to be done as she would just rather sell it then go back home to her life with her family. Danni and Jon decide to just stay a day or so but well laid plans ended up going awry as the children start experiencing paranormal activity right away. Jon doesn't want to believe anything is going on within the house as he is just oblivious to what is happening around him whereas Danni starts realizing that something is going on within the house. 

When apparitions among other crazy things start happening all Danni wants to do is just get out of the house alive with her family but the entities that live there do not want the family to leave and they will do whatever it takes to keep them all there!

That is about all I can give out on a small taste so if you want to know more then go read this book! 

Thoughts:

This was my second time reading this story as I read it back in 2017 and I remember that it was a scary ride the first time I read it as I remember leaving lights on. This time I still felt that it was scary but I didn't have to leave lights on this time around as I have become immune I think to horror stories - I just endure it all in the dark! :)

This book just seeps "creepiness and spooky vibes" by just looking at the cover and what lies between the pages is just as creepy. The demon/occult vibes just radiate off the pages and I could feel those vibes escalate throughout the story. The author, Lee Mountford has a way to pull the reader into his world and literally makes you feel as if you are experiencing the same thing as the characters. This book just brings on the dreaded feeling as you walk the halls of the house, you can feel that creepy atmosphere surround you as the haunting takes you to a level of heightened awareness! 

I have read a few horror fiction books where the demonic/occult is weaved into the storyline and this book is right up there with all those great occult stories. This book almost reads like one of those "true paranormal" reads as with the demonic haunting pulsating out of the book it truly felt that this book could be considered "true" as the demon that haunts the place is as bad as what a true demon would be probably be like in the true stories. 

Attached is the profile page of the author from Goodreads:

Lee Mountford

Attached is the author profile page of the author from Amazon:

Lee Mountford

Attached is my review from Goodreads:

My Review

Ouija House (2018)

 

My Rating

💀💀

Watched October 1st 

Streaming site: Freevee

Plot/Synopsis:

A girl takes her friends to a house with a dark past for a research project. They unwittingly summon an evil entity with plans of its own who makes the house part of its sinister game.

Thoughts:

It was a good movie - wasn't really scary - the only character I recognized was Dee Wallace as she played in the movie but she wasn't a main character - more like a support character. But the movie did have some creep out moments but nothing that kept me spooked out of my skin. A couple of the Ouija movies in that franchise are scary but this one didn't make the grade for me. 

How to Sell a Haunted House by Grady Hendrix

 

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Five "Haunting Horrors" Stars

Spooky Terror!

A small taste of what lies within:

Louise along with her brother Mark are thrown for a loop when their parents pass away at the same time and they both have to make arrangements to meet at their parents house to decide what to do with the house and decide if they want to sell it. 

Louise and Mark don't get along that well as they have had a rocky sibling relationship so things don't go as planned at first but when they start messing with the house they find out that the doll and puppet collection that belonged to their mom is haunted.  The more Louise and Mark try to get rid of the house the more they are met with resistance as the dolls/puppets do not want the house to be sold and they will do whatever it takes to keep Louise and Mark from selling! 

That is about all I can give on a small taste so if you want to know more then go read this book!

Thoughts:

This was a different type of haunted house story as the haunting of the house mainly lies within the doll/puppet collection. This book really has to do with cursed/possessed objects and what happens to families that have those kinds of things in their homes. Though this book also had some humor in it too as the author Grady Hendrix just wrapped this book around spooky and creepy vibes but tossed in some funny quips here and there. 

I really enjoyed this story and when the book hits the 30% mark it slowly takes off. The author builds up the suspense of the story and brings the haunting more into focus as time goes on. By the time I reached the 45% mark the book was building up steam and I had a harder time putting it down as things were happening more in the story but when I hit the 60% mark is when the story went into overdrive as the haunting went into full scale terror! 

I loved all the characters as there are quite a few in the storyline which are mostly family relations to the siblings but they all mesh well within the storyline and you are able to feel what they all go through with this haunting. The book really brings to light what families go through when parents pass away and the siblings are left to take care of everything including trying to sell a house and property. The author plops the reader into the family drama of all what takes place in the story and surrounds the reader with the atmosphere of the haunting. Another great book by this author and looking forward to reading more of his work. 

Attached is the author, Grady Hendrix, profile page from Goodreads:

Grady Hendrix

Attached is the author, Grady Hendrix, profile page from Amazon:

Grady Hendrix

Attached is my review from Goodreads:

My Review