11 minute read
The SOCIALBUBBLE
Spooky Halloween Edition
Full of reviews of all the books you have been too scared to read.
Synopsis
Lola Nox is the daughter of a celebrated horror filmmaker--she thinks nothing can scare her.But when her father is brutally attacked in their New York apartment, she’s quickly packed off to live with a grandmother she’s never met in Harrow Lake, the eerie town where her father’s most iconic horror movie was shot.
The locals are weirdly obsessed with the film that put their town on the map--and there are strange disappearances, which the police seem determined to explain away.
And there’s someone--or something--stalking her every move.
The more Lola discovers about the town, the more terrifying it becomes. Because Lola’s got secrets of her own. And if she can’t find a way out of Harrow Lake, they might just be the death of her.
MY MIDNIGHT MUSING - 3.5 Goodread Rating - 3.70
Review
Since it’s the spooky season, now is the perfect time to get your hands on a horror book that’s guaranteed to give you nightmares. Harrow Lake, is the story of Lola, the daughter of an esteemed horror film director, sent to stay with her grandmother at Harrow Lake following an attack on her father. Harrow Lake is the setting for her father’s most famous movie, but the air of mystery hints of a brewing darkness lurking at the heart of the town, and it has its eyes set on Lola. Determined to discover the truth behind her mother’s disappearance years ago, Lola must venture to the darkest depths of this sinister town, and confront its harrowing monster.
Harrow Lake is a page-turner, one that will have readers at the edge of their seats with its steady pace and haunting atmosphere. In Harrow Lake, Ellis crafts a town reminiscent of Twin Peaks, with its quirky inhabitants, morbid history and legends, and a declining lifespan in itself. Harrow Lake is just as much a character as our lead, immersing readers in its menacing atmosphere.\
Lola is very much an outsider, but an outsider that has deep ties to the history of the town. Her life has been dictated by her father’s success, one that has left her isolated from the world. It’s this character trait that makes her narrative unreliable as her memories are manipulated by lies, denial, and her imagination, making you question the reality of her experiences. However, as Lola reality crumbles and the legendary Mister Jitters preys on her fear, we uncover the real monsters of this tale, humans. Characters that are as embedded in this town as Lola, but are haunted by their history and choices. Not all questions are answered, in this story, but if you’re looking for a novel that will have you at the edge of your seats, Harrow Lake is a perfect book to get you in the mood for Halloween.
Review by MY MIDNIGHT MUSING
https://mymidnightmusing.com/
Synopsis
When the bodies of two girls are found torn apart in the town of Smiths Hollow, Lauren is surprised, but she also expects that the police won’t find the killer. After all, the year before her father’s body was found with his heart missing, and since then everyone has moved on. Even her best friend, Miranda, has become more interested in boys than in spending time at the old ghost tree, the way they used to when they were kids.
So when Lauren has a vision of a monster dragging the remains of the girls through the woods, she knows she can’t just do nothing. Not like the rest of her town. But as she draws closer to answers, she realizes that the foundation of her seemingly normal town might be rotten at the center. And that if nobody else stands for the missing, she will.
Libri Draconis - 4.5 Stars Goodread Rating - 3.91 Stars
Review
Tis the first of October, which means spooky season is officially upon us! So I’ve decided to open the month with a review of a supremely spooky, witchy book, The Ghost Tree by Christina Henry. If I’m not mistaken, this is her first completely original novel after a few novels based on retellings of classic stories such as a twisted version of Alice in Wonderland. And oh, this hits completely differently… Think Stranger Things crossed with an ancient curse meets feminism.
I devoured The Ghost Tree. I think I stayed up late two nights in a row to read the book because I needed to know what happened. The story is set in the mid-1980s, giving it a bit of that Stranger Things vibe we’ve all been loving so much over the past few years, allowing for the story to develop without the interruption of things like the internet or cell phones. And that setting allows it credibility in itself. It works almost like a second-world setting, in which the story is possible.
There are some questions that an attentive reader can figure out relatively soon – I know I had my suspicions, but that does not detract from the story as a whole. It is the story of a town, of a setting, of a curse. It is the story of a girl, a forgotten past and a potential future. It is heartbreaking, and sad, creepy and hopeful. There are no boring moments in The Ghost Tree, and it works wonderfully as a spooky autumn novel to curl up with under blankets when its dark and gloomy outside.
So get yourself a cup of tea or a glass of whisky, depending on what you prefer, add The Ghost Tree to your Goodreads here and get yourself a copy from your dealer of choice for a delightfully creepy night in.
Review by Libri Draconis
https://libridraconis.com/index.php/about/
Synopsis
The Dean Wilson Theatre is believed to be haunted by a long-dead actress, singing her last song, waiting for her final cue, looking for her killer…
Now Dust, the iconic musical, is returning after twenty years. But who will be brave enough to take on the role of ghostly goddess Esme Black, last played by Morgan Miller, who was murdered in her dressing room?
Theatre usher Chloe Dee is caught up in the spectacle. As the new actors arrive, including an unexpected face from her past, everything changes. Are the eerie sounds and sightings backstage real or just her imagination? Is someone playing games?
Is the role of Esme Black cursed? Could witchcraft be at the heart of the tragedy? And are dark deeds from Chloe’s past about to catch up with her?Not all the drama takes place onstage. Sometimes murder, magic, obsession and the biggest of betrayals are real life. When you’re in the theatre shadows, you see everything.
And Chloe has been watching…
Cookiebiscuit’s Blog - Not given Goodread Rating - 4.15 Stars
Review
Magical realism is my favourite genre, but I Am Dust is all out supernatural featuring dead crows, bad dreams, Ouija boards, strange voices and ghostly happenings. And I lapped it up. Every scene and every word. Brilliantly written, it revolves around three teenagers in 2005 who mess around with dark things they don’t understand (… didn’t we all? OK that’s just me then). The story jumps around from Chloe, Jess and Ryan in 2005 to Chloe in 2019 working as an usher 14 years later in the same theatre where the murder happened during a performance of the musical Dust. So who killed the lead actress Morgan Miller? We need to wait a long time to find out. I only guessed at the very end. There were some clues but neither I nor the teenagers (or their adult versions) picked them up.
There is intrigue aplenty, plus jealousy and obsession. Ryan loves Jess but not as much as he wants power and riches. Chloe also loves Jess but not as much as Jess wants fame and fortune. Is Chloe psychic? Her Aunt Rosa thought so. Or is she a witch?
There is a bit of comedy with Chloe’s friend Chester who is also an usher at the theatre and brings some light relief to the proceedings. We also touch (sensitively) on serious subjects such as self-harm and teenage suicide but are these connected to the hauntings or are they coincidences?
When Dust is revived in the same theatre in 2019 (it closed after the murder and never reopened), many people believe the show is cursed. But is it or is this just the media keeping the myth and hype alive?
I can’t praise this book enough. It’s spooky and entertaining and I love the séance scenes with the words spelled out.
Review by Cookiebiscuit’s Blog https://cookiebiscuit.co.uk/
Synopsis
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.
Phil Leader’s - 5 Stars Goodread Rating - 4.27
Review
Set just after the Second World War this follows the story of Finn Harper who decides to turn to property development with his wife. When they are on holiday in Wales they see a house for auction which seems to be a bargain. When the locals won’t bid on it they decide to buy the remote and long-deserted house.
So begins Coal House, a suspenseful ghost story that slowly builds to a shattering ending with a chilling twist. Any ghost story turns on the ability of the author to conjure up locations and events that seem both ordinary and strange at the same time and Barton does this with ease, able to raise goosebumps with a few simple words.
The story is clever and interesting with several layers and with characters to match. Finn is initially a skeptic but as strange events happen in and around the house he must consider if they are real or just his imagination.
This is not a long book but does pack a lot into its pages. An excellent read
Review by Phil Leader
https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/28233323-phil-leader
Synopsis
Elusive online journalist Scott King examines the chilling case of a young vlogger found frozen to death in the legendary local ‘vampire tower’, in another explosive episode of Six Stories…
In the wake of the ‘Beast from the East’ cold snap that ravaged the UK in 2018, a grisly discovery was made in a ruin on the Northumbrian coast. Twenty-four-year-old vlogger, Elizabeth Barton, had been barricaded inside what locals refer to as ‘The Vampire Tower’, where she was later found frozen to death.
Three young men, part of an alleged ‘cult’, were convicted of this terrible crime, which they described as a ‘prank gone wrong’. However, in the small town of Ergarth, questions have been raised about the nature of Elizabeth Barton’s death and whether the three convicted youths were even responsible. Elusive online journalist Scott King speaks to six witnesses – people who knew both the victim and the three killers – to peer beneath the surface of the case. He uncovers whispers of a shocking online craze that held the young of Ergarth in its thrall and drove them to escalate a series of pranks in the name of internet fame. He hears of an abattoir on the edge of town, which held more than simple slaughter behind its walls, the tragic and chilling legend of the ‘Ergarth Vampire’…
Finding My Voice Blog - 5 Stars Goodread Rating - 4.06
Review
This is the first book I have read of Matt Wesolowski and it will not be the last. For a start I have now read the Six Stories Series out of order as this is book four, although BEAST stands well on its own. I am intrigued to know what happened to Scott King…. BEAST has left me almost lost for words which lets face it, isn’t good when it comes to writing a review. Need to find my words…. I got absolutely lost in BEAST. If it wasn’t thinking about how Elizabeth had died it was the manipulation, secrets and lies told by everyone involved. How could so many people hide so much!?!
I have just finished reading and feel angry. Oh my gosh what are these people like. I want to shout at them all and make them realise what they are doing. Scott King is a master at interviewing and knows his instincts are pointing him towards something else, something just doesn’t add up.
I was drawn in by the vampires – are they real? I want them to be or do I? I love vampire stories… Although I certainly wouldn’t want to live in Ergarth!
Matt Wesolowski has written this intense and exceptional crime thriller that will appeal to anyone interested in the genre or even those who would like a vampire story with a twist!!!
Review by My Journey Finding My Voice Blog
