Forlorn Harbor by Jim Doran

 

Forlorn Harbor by Jim Doran
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Imagine wanting to fit in so much that you're willing to do just about anything. That's where Martina was and she, along with a handful of others, decided to break into an old abandoned movie theater. Sounds like fun, eh? Well, it's all fun and games until the movie projector comes on and the band of trespassers find themselves involved in a game of sorts. Not the kind you really want to play though!

This was such a thrilling read and I believe that young adults as well as more mature adults will appreciate this story. The theater setting is unique and ominous for the parts to be played out. This is a great read and I will likely add this to the "re-read pile" to enjoy again down the road!

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The Last One at the Wedding by Jason Rekulak

 

The Last One at the Wedding by Jason Rekulak
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is a new-to-me author and I've heard so much about this book that I had to borrow it to listen to while driving.

Frank and his daughter Maggie have been estranged for some time. Maggie is getting married and decides she wants her dad to walk her down the aisle. Frank is ecstatic and can't wait to meet the man of Maggie's dreams, along with his family.

The whole set up is rather disturbing to Frank. The secrecy of the family, the massive security details, and the elusive woman at the window. Who is this family that Maggie is marrying into? She doesn't even seem to really like her fiance, Aiden, which adds to the mystery.

Overall, an enjoyable read!

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A Catch In Time: A Macabre Novella & Short Stories by Christopher Alan Broadstone

 

A Catch In Time by Christopher Alan Broadstone
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The writing in this book is among some of the most unique I have ever encountered. It sucks you in pretty fast and takes you for a ride through various short stories set in the time of WWII. There are twists and turns and gruesome tales of the horrors of war. With the writing style being so unique, this book might not be for everyone but I encourage you to give it a chance!

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Midnight Falls by John Evans

 

Midnight Falls by John (ronin) Evans
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I almost put this book down before finishing it. It started off very rough, very slow, and I wasn't quite sure where it was going. There was enough there to keep me intrigued so I made it through. There are twists and turns you won't see coming and the story ended up coming together well in the end.

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Ward D by Freida McFadden

 

Ward D by Freida McFadden
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I knew when I read the synopsis of this book that I had to read the whole thing. I could have easily read this in one setting but life demanded other things in between chapters. After reading some reviews from other readers, I especially wanted to read this book, not because their reviews were awesome, but because they rated it so poorly! What?!?!

When I was in nursing school, we had to do a rotation in a psych unit. It was one of the most terrifying, yet fun times of my life. Just like Amy, we were taught that these are humans, not conditions, and that's how I saw this. Afterall, if you spend anytime in a psych unit, you will begin to wonder why you're not there yourself.

Some readers found the story to be ridiculous and overdone. I mean, in truth, that's a possibility considering that Ward D is on the 9th floor. Other floors above and below could have possibly heard the commotion, especially at night. But having worked in a hospital, and part of that time being at night, you don't always tune in to other things around you. What happened on Ward D could potentially happen in a hospital setting. Likely? Very low chances but it *could* happen.

I thought I had this figured out and I mostly did but I still enjoyed this read very much! This is only my second book by this author (I read The Teacher first) but I enjoy her style of writing!

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The Misery House (The House on the Hill Book 1) by David Kummer

 

The Misery House by David Duane Kummer
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I love a good mystery/thriller/horror story and this one did not disappoint!

The Woods family lives in New Haven, a small family oriented town. The kind of town where everyone knows everyone and everything that happens there. Lots of farmland, historic homes, and nothing for teenagers to do except find trouble at the closest watering hole. I grew up in a place like this!

There's this house on a hill that is just plain weird. No one wants to go near it except for the kids taking stupid dares on a weekend night in the middle of a thunderstorm.

One day, a fire breaks out and two bodies are found. Then a girl goes missing. What else could go wrong? Oh, yes, there's a new family in town and anytime someone new moves in, they are automatically labeled as "suspicious".

This book ends in a cliffhanger, so if you don't like that kind of stuff, well....you're missing out. There are a lot of twists and turns in this book and a few mysterious characters that I must learn more about. The next book can't be dropped soon enough!

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The Passenger by Lisa Lutz

The Passenger by Lisa Lutz
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Put your seatbelt on for this one! I read this book on the recommendation of my boss after she couldn't stop talking about it!

Tanya is in the shower and when she gets out, she finds her husband dead at the foot of the stairs. Did he fall? Was someone else in her house? Fearful of what the police may try to pin on her, Tanya finds herself on the run. She isn't going to take the fall for someone else's crime!

Tanya makes a phone call to a "mystery man" who gets her a new identity to go along with her new look. Tanya soon becomes Amelia. She then meets Blue and her life will never be the same again.

In this fast paced novel, you aren't entirely sure of who is doing what and how they are all connected until the very end. The adventures of Blue and Amelia really set the stage for what is to come.

I enjoyed reading this novel and would recommend it to others who enjoy a good horror story!

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Review: Alone at Midnight-A Collection of Horror Stories by Scott Zavoda

This is my first exposure to Scott Zavoda and his writing. This is a collection of short stories that are rather intriguing. I personally don't scare easily so I didn't see these as "horror" stories but some definitely would. There is actually quite a bit of humor infused into his writing which helped give it some levity. 

In the first story, "Oh Christmas Tree", we meet Randy who is struggling with some major addictions in his life. He has also been accused of stealing a Christmas tree. This one shows how addiction can cause some other issues in a person's life. 

In "Bobby"....this one got to me. I wanted to reach through my Kindle and show those boys "what for". Having a disabled mother, this one really disturbed me. Bullies are horrible!!

To those readers who enjoy the beach, you may want to skip over "Beneath the Sand"! This one was probably my second favorite because it was a little more mystical to me than the others. Sand seems to pile up in the house at odd times of this Vietnam Vet. Will the beach ever carry the same meaning again? 

"Castle Point" was a story that I just didn't get. Not sure what it was about it. 

"Fright Flight"  was my favorite story. This one is more along the lines of what I enjoy reading. I don't think I could ever fly a plane, let alone ride in one, with a corpse in it....at night....through a thunderstorm. My favorite character in this one? The corpse! ;) 

"Flowers for Mom" and "The Calling" were the remaining two stories. I struggled a little with these as well. Keep in mind I'm not generally a scared person when reading books or watching movies though. 

Some things my readers may want to know is that there is some strong language throughout this book. It's not "excessive, every page" kinda strong language but it's still there. Just a side note for those of you wondering! 

Overall, I enjoyed this book and I appreciate receiving a complimentary copy from the author and Tomoson in exchange for my personal review and thoughts. 

If you enjoy horror stories, I'm sure you'll find at least one story in here that will resonate with you!

Alone at Midnight Collection of Horror stories  #HorrorStories

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.