Last month, Marina Scott released her historical horror novel, The Night Guests. (It was also an Amazon First Reads selection in October.) Set in Omaha, Nebraska in 1903, it follows Nina Wilson in the wake of losing her father. Her twin brother is absent and her mother lives in a delusion that she can communicate... Continue Reading →
Gothic tales always catch my eye, and I've been especially interested in ones set in different countries. This drew me to The Villa, Once Beloved by Victor Manibo, set in the Philippines. Filipina-American Sophie travels to the Philippines for the first time with her boyfriend, Adrian Sepulveda, when his grandfather passes away. The Sepulveda villa... Continue Reading →
One of my most anticipated horror novels this year has been I'll Make a Spectacle of You, the debut from Beatrice Winifred Iker. Set at a Tennessee HBCU, it follows Zora, a grad student in Appalachian Studies who's researching religions, folklore, and hoodoo... and a beast that supposedly lurks the university woods at night. A... Continue Reading →
C. J. Cooke is rapidly becoming one of my favorite authors, and her latest book is my favorite one yet. The Last Witch takes readers back to 1485, where Helena Scheuberin is a young wife trying to finally conceive a child. But just when she discovers she's pregnant, she's arrested on charges of witchcraft. She... Continue Reading →
Kelley Armstrong is an author I've been wanting to read for some time, and my starting point is her newest release, The Haunting of Paynes Hollow. This horror novel takes inspiration from The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, giving it a new twist in a different setting. When she was younger, Samantha Payne witnessed her dad... Continue Reading →
Last week KJ Charles released her new Gothic novel, All of Us Murderers. This is my first time reading her, but it will not be my last! This was such a fun and deliciously creepy book! Zebedee has been invited to spend a fortnight at his distant cousin Wynn's home, along with Zeb's brother, sister-in-law,... Continue Reading →
Happy rerelease to Hollow by Karina Halle! First published two years ago, it has just been republished with a gorgeous new cover. Hollow is the first half of A Gothic Shade of Romance duology; the second part, Legend, comes out in December. Hollow is a retelling of "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" by Washington Irving.... Continue Reading →
I loved Kristen Loesch's first novel, The Last Russian Doll, so I was excited to read her newest book. The Hong Kong Widow is out today, and it is a stunning work of horror. Set between three timelines, it follows Mei from her difficult childhood, to series of séances gone wrong in her 20s, to... Continue Reading →
The Phantom of the Opera meets Chinese mythology? This premise made me excited for Demon Song by Kelsea Yu. This novella is set in Beijing, where Megan and her mom have just escaped an abusive man. They end up working and living in the Huihuang Opera Theater, and soon, Megan spends her free time learning... Continue Reading →
I've been wanting to read Nick Medina since his first novel came out a couple years ago. Now that his third novel has published, I decided to start there. The Whistler follows Henry Hotard, a man in his early 20s who's devoted to his growing YouTube channel about ghost hunting. But after going after a... Continue Reading →
After loving The Hacienda a few years ago, I've been eager to read more from Isabel Cañas. This week she released her third novel, The Possession of Alba Díaz. Set in a mining town outside Zacatecas in 1765, it follows Alba Díaz as she gets to know the family of her new fiancé. It'll be... Continue Reading →
A book I've been anticipating for months is finally here: House of Monstrous Women by Daphne Fama. This horror debut, set in the Philippines, is a feast of creepy atmosphere, an unnatural mansion on a secluded island, and evil passed down between generations. When Josephine, her brother Alejandro, and his longtime girlfriend Gabriella get invited... Continue Reading →
Today Silvia Moreno-Garcia releases her eleventh novel, The Bewitching. By now I've read nearly everything she's released, and I know that, no matter the genre or setting, I'll be in for a mesmerizing tale. Here readers get three timelines: On a rural farm in Mexico in 1908, Alba faces a series of losses and increasing... Continue Reading →
I've been wanting to read Paulette Kennedy since her first book came out a few years ago, and have finally started with her latest novel, The Artist of Blackberry Grange. Set in 1925, it follows Sadie Halloran just after her relationship with a married man ended badly. She ends up going to her great aunt... Continue Reading →
Yesterday the U.S. finally got to see the release of C. J. Cooke's novel, The Ghost Woods. It originally came out in 2022, the final in a trio of books she wrote surrounding themes of motherhood (the other two being The Nesting and The Lighthouse Witches). This Gothic novel follows two timelines, Mabel in 1959... Continue Reading →
There's something about folkloric horror and thrillers that always captures my immediate interest. Such was the case when I first heart about Something in the Walls by Daisy Pearce. Set in a small English town in 1989, it follows a recently graduated child psychologist, Mina, and her first patient, a teen girl named Alice who... Continue Reading →
Earlier this month, Neena Viel released her debut novel, Listen to Your Sister. This comedic yet horrifying story follows three siblings, the eldest of whom is now the official guardian of the youngest brother, a troubled teenager. Calla has been having a repeated nightmare for years, and it centers on her two younger brothers. But... Continue Reading →
One week ago, Virginia Feito released her horror novella, Victorian Psycho. The title actually works as a succinct but sufficient summary: In Victorian-era England, a psychotic governess, Winifred, is bent on revenge and murder, and she narrates her evils over the course of three months leading up to Christmas. A word of warning: She does... Continue Reading →
Every fall I'm on the lookout for some good horror and thrillers to feed my spooky season cravings. One book I had been eagerly awaiting was Del Sandeen's debut novel, This Cursed House. It's summer 1962 when Jemma has faced a series of difficulties at home in Chicago. From the death of her adoptive father... Continue Reading →
Last winter, I enjoyed reading The Lighthouse Witches by C. J. Cooke, so I was excited to read more from her. This week she released her newest novel, The Book of Witching. Divided between two timelines, it deals with a mysterious group known as the Triskele on the Orkney Islands of Scotland. In 1594, Alison... Continue Reading →
I'm a sucker for a good horror story, especially when dolls are involved. So The Doll's House by Lisa Unger immediately captured my attention. This short story follows Jules, recently widowed, and her teenage daughter, Scout. Both are still grieving, but Jules is already with a new man, Kirin, and they're moving into his house.... Continue Reading →
Last year, I enjoyed V. Castro's novel The Haunting of Alejandra, partially inspired by La Llorona. When I saw that she had a new novel coming out, I was intrigued. Immortal Pleasures offers a new side to the story of the woman known as La Malinche, who interpreted for conquistador Hernán Cortés and has a... Continue Reading →
I've been a big fan of mysteries and thrillers since I was young, though I haven't read nearly as many in the last few years. Thrillers still catch my eye, especially when they weave in some supernatural or horror elements, and this is what drew me to The Hungry Dark by Jen Williams. Combining a... Continue Reading →
C. J. Cooke is an author I've been wanting to read for a few years now, so I've started with The Lighthouse Witches. Scotland, dual timelines, a theme of witches... it has all the makings of a great work of Gothic fiction. Summary In the 1990s, Liv has few options as a single mother of... Continue Reading →
Amanda's Book Corner 