REVIEW TOUR: We Are For The Dark - Gretchen McNeil

 

An isolated town. A missing priest. An ancient, hungry darkness. 

When Father Shane Ryan is summoned to a meeting with His Eminence Cardinal Jacobs, he’s confused. A recently ordained priest at a small Maryland parish, Father Ryan has no idea why His Eminence would want to meet him. When he arrives, the Cardinal opens by laying out Father Ryan’s past as an FBI analyst. It seems a priest has gone missing, and the case is…unusual. 

Weeks ago, Constable Miriam Rideout from the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary fielded a frantic call from a priest on a remote Newfoundland island. He begged for help, but then the line went dead, and no one has since been reported missing. When permission to perform a wellness check is denied by her superiors, Miriam takes some vacation time and books a ticket on the ferry. 

Thrown together with friendly but cagey locals, Miriam and Father Ryan soon learn that something about the island isn’t right. There’s a fishing port without boats, a town with no stores and no cars, and strange, bulbous purple wildflowers are growing everywhere. The two don’t trust each other, but they begin to learn that an alliance, however uneasy, is a necessity. Because something evil lurks beneath the island—something ancient, eternal, hungry—and neither it nor the uncanny islanders have any intention of letting these newcomers leave. A growing sense of dread intensifies until it explodes in this pulse-pounding supernatural horror.

What did I think?

WOW!  I just couldn't put this book down; We Are For The Dark is an absolute belter from Gretchen McNeil.  I used to say that I didn't read horror but I'm so glad that I changed my mind as it would have been a travesty to miss this brilliant book.

It begins with a bit of a mystery when Constable Miriam Rideout receives a phone call from a priest about a missing person on an island nobody has heard of but Miriam doesn't take it seriously until he utters Miriam's mother's dying words and the call ends...  Talk about goosebumps!  Eeeeeeek.

At the same time, newly ordained priest and former FBI agent, Father Ryan is summoned to see the Cardinal and asked to visit Bale Island to investigate a missing priest but to keep his investigation under wraps.  Father Ryan meets Miriam on the ferry and as much as they each want to keep their investigations separate, they need to join forces against a bigger evil than they imagined.

The writing is mesmerising as Gretchen McNeil drew me into the story and, just like the residents of the creepy island can never leave, my eyes couldn't leave the page.  The characters are so vividly drawn that I could easily picture them in my mind and it feels like even the island itself is a living, breathing character.

I devoured this book like it was my last meal and, although it's incredibly creepy and scary at times, I put on my big girl pants and resisted hiding behind the virtual sofa because I was desperate to see what was going to happen next.  This book would be AMAZING on the screen and I wouldn't be surprised to see it made into a film or series.

Deliciously dark and incredibly addictive, We Are For The Dark is an unmissable novel that I will be recommending for a very long time.  I loved it so much that I could pick it up right now and read it all again.  An easy five stars.

I received a gifted hardback for the Black Crow PR review tour and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

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Someone Is Watching You - Tess James-Mackey

 How far would you go for a dare?

Nia would do anything to win the approval of her boyfriend Scott and his friends, especially mean girl Olivia. Olivia dares Nia to explore an abandoned prison. Facing dark tunnels, distant noises and creepy mementoes left behind by incarcerated criminals will surely all be worth it to finally become part of the group. But it isn't long before Nia and her little sister, Kayla, find themselves trapped inside.

And then Kayla vanishes.

Suddenly, this feels like more than a game gone wrong. There is a horrifying secret hidden within the prison's walls - and now someone is hellbent on making sure Nia and her little sister become its last inmates...

An utterly compelling take on toxic friendship from a remarkable UK debut author.

What did I think?

Crikey, this book is chilling, scary and completely addictive.  I couldn’t tear my eyes away from the page and I wouldn’t be surprised to see this turned into a movie or mini series.

Nia is trying to fit in with the cool kids but she always feels like she has to prove herself.  I was virtually screaming ‘Run away, Nia!  Run away now!’ but oh, they are clever.  Just one look from Scott and Nia goes weak at the knees, she will do anything to be the girlfriend that he wants…and he knows it.

When Nia and her family go to a soft play area inside an abandoned prison (amazingly based on the author’s own true life experience), the gang sees the opportunity to send Nia off on a dare: to get lost inside the prison.  My eyes were so wide, I might have been reading in the dark myself as I just couldn’t put the book down when Nia began exploring the creepy prison.

There’s a lot of thought-provoking material in the story for teens and young adults: the girl who is so invisible that she does actually vanish, the power of the opposite sex and how it can be manipulated and the pressure to be accepted by the popular crowd in school.  It might be YA but this forty-odd-year-old thoroughly enjoyed it!

Heartpounding, creepy and disturbing, Someone is Watching You makes the Mean Girls look like Disney princesses.  It’s an outstanding debut and a real page turner with a protagonist that you want to hug but also shake some sense into.  I really do hope to see this on my screen in the future - grab this one before anyone else, Netflix!

My rating:

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Lockwood & Co. - Jonathan Stroud

'The Screaming Staircase?' Lockwood edged forward in his chair. 'Please, Mr Fairfax, tell us more.'

For more than fifty years, Britain has been terrorised by an epidemic of murderous ghosts. A number of Psychic Investigations Agencies have sprung up to destroy them - with mixed results . . .

Lucy Carlyle, a talented young agent, arrives in London hoping to begin a shining new chapter in her career. Instead she finds herself joining Lockwood & Co., the most ramshackle agency in the city, whose ineptitude is matched only by the charisma of its owner.

But Lockwood & Co. have one last chance for redemption. All they have to do is spend the night in one of the most haunted houses in England . . . and come out alive.

The first book in an amazingly addictive, binge-worthy series, this is an electrifying, witty and brilliantly spooky thriller, perfect for fans of Rivers of London and Good Omens.

 

What did I think?

Wow!  I absolutely loved this book.  It is aimed at 11 year olds and above so everyone from children to adults will enjoy this fabulous book.

I noticed Lockwood & Co. among the new shows on Netflix but I wanted to read the book before watching it as the book is almost always better.  If the series is even half as good as the book, it’ll be fantastic.

It’s told from the perspective of Lucy Carlyle, who hails from my native North East of England, although Lucy’s England is filled with ghosts and hauntings that only children can eliminate.  Lucy is looking for a job that will put her psychic talent to good use, but every interview ends in disappointment as soon as the subject of her previous employment comes up.  Anthony Lockwood is more interested in Lucy’s present than her past and Lucy finally secures a position as the third member of the Lockwood & Co. team.

Lockwood reminds me of Sherlock Holmes with his almost indifferent nature and you think he’s not listening but he doesn’t miss anything.  George may be always thinking of his next sweet treat but he’s very shrewd and would lay his life on the line for Lockwood.  Lucy has the most intriguing talent as she can feel what the ghost feels so she is led more by her feelings and intuition than with her head.  Lucy is the newest member of the team so she’s still finding her place in this entertaining trio.

The story is told in five parts that contain their own separate storyline but they all link together and flow beautifully from one to the next.  There are a number of mysteries to solve and I was as riveted with this book as I usually am with adult mystery, crime and thriller novels.  I loved the excerpts from newspapers that appear at the start of some of the chapters, it really makes the reader feel as if they’re gathering clues along with Lockwood & Co.

Brilliantly written, perfectly plotted and highly entertaining, Lockwood & Co. thrilled, frightened and delighted me.  I loved it and I definitely want to read more of this wonderfully creepy series.

My rating:

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The Shadow Friend - Alex North

The victim was his friend. So was the murderer.

Twenty-five years ago, troubled teenager Charlie Crabtree committed a shocking and unprovoked murder.

For Paul Adams, it's a day he'll never forget. He's never forgiven himself for his part in what happened to his friend and classmate. He's never gone back home.

But when his elderly mother has a fall, it's finally time to stop running.

It's not long before things start to go wrong. A copycat killer has struck, bringing back painful memories. Paul's mother insists there's something in the house.

And someone is following him.

Which reminds him of the most unsettling thing about that awful day twenty-five years ago.

It wasn't just the murder.

It was the fact that afterwards, Charlie Crabtree was never seen again . . .

 

What did I think?

I absolutely loved The Whisper Man so I was thrilled to be invited to take part in the Tandem Collective readalong for The Shadow Friend by Alex North.  The readalong suggests that you read set parts of the book over a certain number of days but that's IMPOSSIBLE with The Shadow Friend as it's like a runaway train...once you get on, you can't get off.

The Shadow Friend explores lucid dreaming so you're never quite sure what is true and what isn't while reading.  I found myself constantly questioning whether each character was awake or dreaming and I loved that element of the book as it felt like absolutely anything could happen.  It's so very cleverly written that you unwittingly make certain assumptions along the way and we all know what happens when you assume things; it definitely made an ass of me!

I don't want to give anything away about the perfect plot so the less said the better.  The dual storyline follows Paul as a schoolboy and then as an adult, returning to the scene of the crime so to speak.  Events in the past have an element of the supernatural and I gasped out loud and jumped in shock at one point, so much so that I almost dropped the book!  It's a double whammy of intrigue as the past and present is gradually revealed, making this book impossible to put down. 

The Shadow Friend is an incredibly addictive, gripping, creepy and dark thriller that puts Alex North firmly on the map.  It's pretty creepy but it didn't creep me out as much as The Whisper Man, however, it's more cunning in its deception and had me spinning round so much that I ended up completely in the wrong direction.  It's simply brilliant; an absolute must read and highly recommended.

I received a gifted paperback as part of The Tandem Collective readalong and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

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Coal House - W.S. Barton

When property developer Finn Harper impulsively decides to make an investment with his wife whilst away together in North Wales for their anniversary, it seems an opportunity almost too good to be true. But as the disturbing truth of the home's abandonment unravels itself, Finn finds himself alone, and a martyr of the local community. He must confront some personal demons, forcing him to consider what, or even who, is real.

What did I think?

I won an e-book of Coal House in a competition quite some time ago and it took far too long for Coal House to jump to the top of my TBR.  It's a quick read at only 200 pages, but it's definitely a book to be savoured rather than raced through.  The cover gives us an idea of what to expect: a spooky old house with dark clouds hanging over it and the fractured letters of 'HOUSE' depicting the shifting reality that the main character experiences.

Finn and Clara are on a romantic getaway in Wales when they buy a ridiculously low priced house in an auction.  They don't even seem alarmed that there we no other bidders for Coal House, known locally as Tŷ Glo in Dyffryn Du, The Black Valley.  Clara returns to London so Finn prepares for his first night in their new home...alone.  I felt as if the house was expecting him as he settles into a ready made bed, only to be woken during the night by a blood-curdling scream.  This is the point I would have been running for the hills but Finn is determined to find out more about his house and the people who lived, and died, there.

I was unsure of the period Coal House was set in, it's possibly the 1950's, but it's a story that doesn't need to be stamped with a date (only to perhaps explain the very low price of Tŷ Glo).  W.S. Barton's writing is of such a high standard that it reminded me of the dark brooding text of Daphne du Maurier, giving Coal House a classic literary feel with a sense of impending doom creating enough suspense to keep the pages turning.

Spooky and creepy, I'll definitely be reading Coal House again; preferably on a cold winter's night as the bare branches of the trees scratch against my window and with only the light from my kindle piercing the darkness, if I dare...  

My rating:

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