The summer of 1989 brought terror to the town of Shadows Creek, Florida in the form of a massacre at the local carnival, Cirque Berserk. One fateful night, a group of teens killed a dozen people then disappeared into thin air. No one knows why they did it, where they went, or even how many of them there were, but legend has it they still roam the abandoned carnival, looking for blood to spill. Thirty years later, best friends, Sam and Rochelle, are in the midst of a boring senior trip when they learn about the infamous Cirque Berserk. Seeking one last adventure, they and their friends journey to the nearby Shadows Creek to see if the urban legends about Cirque Berserk are true. But waiting for them beyond the carnival gates is a night of brutality, bloodshed, and betrayal. Will they make they make it out alive, or will the carnival’s past demons extinguish their futures?        SHORT THOUGHTS This is book 4 in the Rewind or Die Series (all books are self ...

“Police, what is your emergency?” “They’re in the house and they’re going to kill me…” “My name is Marco and I am flawed. I know that. And I was fine with it until it cost me my family. Now, I’ll do anything to get them back – even see a therapist. Which is a joke, because I am a therapist. At least I was before I was fired. Now, with nowhere else to go, I’ve had to move out of the city and into the house I inherited, here, in the idyllic fishing village of Porthcove, but only for as long as it takes to sell it. Because something isn’t right about this place. You see, I need the money, so I’ve started seeing some of the locals, you know, as patients, but I tell you, there’s something really disturbing about charming neighbours sharing chilling secrets. And it isn’t just that. It’s the other things. Strange, inexplicable things. It started with odd smells, creepy sounds, and then the intruders… oh God, the intruders. Now, a child has gone missing, the police are asking que...

  John Harmon has tried everything to cure his severe insomnia--an endless stream of doctors, treatments, and multi-colored pills. So when he's finally admitted into an experimental sleep study promising to cure his ailment and pay for his daughter's chemotherapy? It's so convenient that John never suspects a thing. But the Skyline Facility, nestled in the mountains and only accessible by helicopter, is anything but normal. Strange antennae are mounted throughout the hallways and in the surrounding forest.  Intrusive thoughts begin invading John's mind. And the swirling blue liquid injected into their veins each night does not seem like part of any legitimate study. As the true motive for the research facility is revealed, John's focus shifts from his crippling insomnia to his own horrific imprisonment. Can he and his fellow subjects escape the facility alive, or are they doomed like all the test subjects before them      SHORT THOUGHTS ...

  A RASH OF MURDERS A young woman pours acid over her body. A loving husband kills his wife. A headteacher throws her pupils out of a window. Who or what has made ordinary Londoners commit such horrific acts?   A DEADLY VIRUS DC Jerry Pardoe and DS Jamila Patel of Tooting police are at a loss. With no obvious connection between the killings, they fear a virus.   THE INFECTION IS SPREADING Something evil is stirring in the city. A supernatural force that infects its victims with a lust to murder. And Jerry and Jamila are powerless to stop it...    SHORT THOUGHTS  Last month I reviewed Graham Masterton's forthcoming "The Children God Forgot" which reignited my love for horror novels.  I found out whilst reading it that it was the second in a series so I vowed to check out the first one in the series. Wow.  What a difference betweeen books.  I'm sorry but this one is a stinker!  One of the most unbelievable horror books I have read...

  A devastating terror attack strikes at the heart of Birmingham... but is all as it seems? When Di Zoe Finch and her colleagues rush to respond to a terrorist attack, the city is plunged into chaos. But Zoe begins to suspect that all is not as it seems. Could the attack be a smoke shield for other criminal activity? And are Zoe's own colleagues involved in that cover-up?                  SHORT THOUGHTS   Birmingham's favourite detective  is back, this time dealing with the aftermath of a terror attack in Birmingham. A lot more complex storyline this time yet not confusing at all. You know how I feel about this series.  If you like Angela Marsons 'Kim Stone' and Kerry Wilkinsons 'Jessica Daniels', its time to introduce yourself to their Birmingham counterpart - Zoe Finch.    

  The small town near the Everglades was supposed to offer Rachel and her son a fresh start. Instead it offered the start of a nightmare, when an unknown breed of flies migrated through the area, leaving painful bites in their wake. The media warned people to stay inside until the swarm passed. But the flies didn't leave. And then the radios and TVs went silent. That's when the spiders came. Spiders that could spin a deadly web large enough to engulf an entire house overnight. Spiders that left stripped bones behind as they multiplied. Spiders that, like the flies, sought hungrily for tender flesh...through Violet Eyes.           SHORT THOUGHTS Firstly DO NOT r ead this book if you suffer from arachnaphobia or pteronarcophobia as it will quite possibly traumatise you. A "creature horror" with flies that bite humans and lay eggs.  These eggs then make their way to the brain and hatch into spiders that then burrow their way out of the head to...

  Everyone in town said it was a mercy that she remembered so little. But there are some things Maya has never forgotten: that her mother was beautiful and kind, and she loved Maya very much. It’s what her father Stephen always tells her, about his perfect wife. Years later, Maya still lives with her father in their cliffside home. Thankful for all the sacrifices he has made for her, she never pushes to find out what happened the night he lost the woman he loved. Even when she hears the whispers in town about him, and what they say he’s done. But then Stephen introduces Maya to his new girlfriend Amy, and Maya starts to feel uneasy. With her soft dark hair and big blue eyes, Amy looks just like Maya’s mother. The more time they spend together the more Maya notices just how similar they are. And the tune Amy hums whilst cleaning the dishes is the same lullaby Maya’s mother sang to her when she was a little girl…   SHORT THOUGHTS   I know the blog is called sh...

  A TERRIFYING BIRTH A young woman is rushed to the hospital with stabbing pains in her stomach. The chief surgeon delivers a living child with the face of an angel and the body of a tentacled monster. The doctors are unanimous that the baby must die. AN ESCAPE FROM THE DARK Engineer Gemma is plunged into darkness in a tunnel beneath London. Before she escapes, a strange green light illuminates a cluster of ghostly figures. Gemma is certain they were children. A SUPERNATURAL THREAT DC Jerry Pardoe and DS Jamila Patel, of Tooting Police, have investigated the occult before – but nothing as strange and horrible as what they must confront in the city sewers. Down here in the dark, where the dead come back to life, witchcraft is the only force strong enough to save you...   SHORT THOUGHTS I was sitting here thinking which Graham Masterton books I have read in the past and I think the only one I had read was a copy of "The House That Jack Built" which I picked up in a s...

  TRIGGER WARNING FOR RAPE/SEXUAL ASSAULT An attractive student. An older professor.  Think you know the story? Think again.  She has everything at stake; he has everything to lose. But one of them is lying, all the same. When an Oxford student accuses one of the university's professors of sexual assault, DI Adam Fawley's team think they've heard it all before. But they couldn't be more wrong. Because this time, the predator is a woman and the shining star of the department, and the student a six-foot male rugby player. Soon DI Fawley and his team are up against the clock to figure out the truth. What they don't realise is that someone is watching. And they have a plan to put Fawley out of action for good... SHORT THOUGHTS I don't like jumping into a series midway through and didn't realise this was book five when I started it  however was extremely grateful for the list of characters and short "bios".  This is a great idea which should be done mor...

      SHORT THOUGHTS   Birmingham's favourite DI Zoe Finch is back with another case.  This series has fast become one of my favourite crime series mainly due to its likeable and believable characters.   A topic which could be heavy going is expertly made readable by the author and makes this book an excellent installment.  Bit by bit, book by book, the characters are being fleshed out and given personalities that make you feel as if you know them.  Zoe Finch herself is a particularly well-rouded character - having a facade as a hard as nails DI, but prepared to go the extra mile for her team and showing a softer side in the sections dealing with her home life. This is the third in the series.  Buy the three (and sign up for the free prequel at the author's website - link below) before the next installment which is due in January.  All three books are also available to Kindle Unlimited readers.     LINKS Rachel McLean Official ...

She offered them a place to stay. They wanted so much more. Hannah’s life is almost perfect. She’s a full-time mother to two young children and married to successful cardiologist Daniel.  The only thing missing is a project of her own. So she has poured heart and soul into converting their stone barn into a beautiful holiday rental.   Things take a dark turn when visitors Mike and Nadia come to stay. They are noisy, dirty and disrespectful. Hannah is incensed by their behaviour, worried they may wreck her lovingly restored barn.  But she gradually realises that property damage is the least of her worries. Nadia and Mike aren’t here just for a holiday - they have a deeper, darker purpose, one that threatens to destroy Hannah’s entire life.   Spiralling into a nightmare that grows worse with each passing day, Hannah has to find the courage to fight back. But Mike and Nadia are clever and ruthless and they know something that Hannah doesn’t - a shocking secret...

A SECRET BEACH. SEVEN STRANGERS. ONE KILLER… It should be like any other holiday. Beautiful beaches. Golden sunsets. Nothing for miles. Instead there’s a group of perfect strangers. All alone on an island – with secrets they’d kill to keep… SHORT THOUGHTS I needed this. After a couple of disappointing books in a row, I needed a cracker and I'm glad to say Lucy Clarke has delivered one. Ive read a few 'stranded on a island" books which all seemed to lack something (and I was kinda burned with the 'genre' with Lost......) but wow. Written in two timelines which are remarkably easy to follow, the book grabs you and DEMANDS you read more to find out what happens...and that twist?  Didnt see that coming at all!  At first it was unbelievable but then the book explains it all and it makes total sense. Buy it upon release day. Oh - and one more thing - thoroughly deserved Advanced copy provided by HarperCollins UK in exchange for a fair, balanced and unbiased review.

  They planned a dream vacation. They got a trip to hell. Maggie and Brad are on vacation at Lake Tahoe when they meet another couple, Skye and Joe. The four hit it off so well that Maggie invites their new friends to share her beautiful lakeside rental.  What she doesn’t realize is Skye and Joe aren’t just some random couple. They have been watching Maggie and Brad, have chosen them carefully…. And now, when they discover that Maggie has a secret which could destroy her marriage, they start turning the screws, pushing their own sinister agenda. But have they selected their victim wisely? Or does Maggie also have a dark side? As the pressure builds, what should have been a dream vacation begins to look more like the inner circle of hell. Before it’s over, all four will be changed forever – and at least one of them will be dead   SHORT THOUGHTS   I really dont know how to review this book.  There was nothing actually wrong with it but it just did noth...

Erin lives an idyllic life by the seaside with her baby boy and handsome Australian fiancée. She's upbeat and happy - a natural mum. At least that's what her thousands of followers on Instagram think. In the real world, Erin is struggling with anxiety and finding it difficult to connect with her screaming son. So when a famous agent offers to make her the biggest instamum out there, she's over the moon. And when Amanda, a family friend who's visiting from Australia, says she'll move in and babysit to help make it happen, it seems like the stars have finally aligned for Erin's exciting new career. But when a devastatingly revealing video is posted online by an anonymous troll, Erin's brought crashing back to earth. As everything she's worked for starts to slip away, Erin must find out how far she can trust those closest to her. SHORT THOUGHTS I so so SO wanted to like this.  The premise sounded fantastic and I was really looking forward to it...

  In this game it’s kill or be killed A stranger has you cornered. They call themselves The Host. You are forced to play their game. In it one person can live and the other must die. You are the next player. You have a choice to make. This is a game where nobody wins…       SHORT THOUGHTS So so good! A serial killer thriller with a twist - the "serial killer" doesnt actually kill anyone.. Based around the "trolley problem" and its moral/ethical challenge, this book is really refreshing, fast paced and believable with a flawed yet likeable lead character who I would love to see featured in a series of books. Includes a couple of shocks (one of which i was genuinely shocked at) Highly recommended.   Thanks to HQ/Netgalley for providing advanced reading copy in exchange for fair unbiased review

  Hannah knows the cage intimately. Small, the size of a shopping centre parking space. A bed, a basin, a table and chair. A hatch and metal drawer through which to exchange food and other items. Then there's him. Always there on the edges of her vision, no matter how hard she tries to block him out. Every day, the same thoughts run through Hannah's mind: What if he speaks to me? What if he hurts me? What if he gets out? SHORT THOUGHTS Set in a UK where instead of prisoners going to jail, they are placed  in the custody of the victim who has to become their jailor.  Electric fences surround the house to prevent escape with codes not available to the victim/jailer.  How would you feel if the man accused of murdering your husband/wife had to live in a cage in your kitchen and you were responsible for their care? I was very unsure about this book and nearly DNF near the start as I could not get into it but I am so glad I did.  One of the most original and rewarding...

When I arrive unannounced at my husband’s studio in need of a shoulder to cry on after hearing that my best student, Alex, has died, I see a pair of wineglasses drying by the sink and my deepest fear is confirmed: my husband is having an affair. Most women would fall to their knees in tears and throw him out of the house–but I just can’t bring myself to do it.  Instead, I go home and cook a healthy dinner for our children, walk the dog and unload the dishwasher without complaint. I will make him see that I’m still the woman he married; attractive, successful, the glue that holds our perfect family together. I need this marriage to work to protect a terrible secret of my own, something that would destroy everything I’ve already sacrificed so much for. But when the police arrive at my door asking questions about Alex’s death that I can’t answer, and threatening text messages start appearing on my phone, I know that someone close has been watching me very carefully. The truth is, ther...

Ten years ago, the small town of Bates, South Carolina was changed forever with the appearance of a slip of paper. Six names. Six people set to die. Six months later, they were gone. But the list maker was far from done with their town. Like clockwork, new lists come out every six months. To keep their names off of them, the citizens go to extraordinary lengths and keep terrifying secrets. Someone is controlling their town. But who? And, most importantly, why? When Connor and Jordyn Atwood move to Bates, they see first hand how far their new neighbors are willing to go to protect themselves. Will the Atwoods succumb to their newfound surroundings? Or will they fight to protect the town they now call their home?  With everything at stake and no one to trust, the Atwoods quickly learn the list maker has one important rule: do what you're told...or find your name on The List. Just imagine being told every six months the names of six children who are going to die soon...  How woul...

  Seven strangers. Seven secrets. One perfect crime. When Amelia is invited to an all-expenses-paid retreat on a private island, the mysterious offer is too good to refuse. Along with six other strangers, she’s told they’re here to test a brand-new product for Timeo Technologies. But the guests’ excitement soon turns to terror when the real reason for their summons becomes clear. Each guest has a guilty secret. And when they’re all forced to wear a memory-tracking device that reveals their dark and shameful deeds to their fellow guests, there’s no hiding from the past. This is no luxury retreat—it’s a trap they can’t get out of. As the clock counts down to the lavish end-of-day party they’ve been promised, injuries and in-fighting split the group. But with no escape from the island—or the other guests’ most shocking secrets—Amelia begins to suspect that her only hope for survival is to be the last one standing. Can she confront her own dark past to uncover the truth—before it’s too...

  A snowstorm, a highway, a lonely hotel.... Devastated by the deaths of her parents and disillusioned with life, Caroline Daynes is in America trying to connect with their memory. Travelling to her mother's hometown of Williamsfield in Pennsylvania, she is caught in a snowstorm and forced to stop at The Egress hotel - somewhere she'd planned to visit as her parents honeymooned there. From the moment she sets foot inside the lobby and meets the surly receptionist, she realizes this is a hotel like no other. Charming and unique, it seems lost in time with a whole cast of compelling characters sheltering behind closed doors. As the storm deepens, so does the mystery of The Egress. Who are these people she's stranded with, what secrets do they hide? And, in a situation that's becoming increasingly nightmarish, is it possible to find solace? SHORT THOUGHTS (ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON GOODREADS JANUARY 2020) Wow. Every so often a book takes you completely by surprise. I'll ...