Two of a Kind by Chisto Healy

Rating: ★★★★☆ 

Genre: Horror

Format: eBook

Pages: 258

Read: 04/22/23

Synopsis:

Everyone knows about workplace drama. We all know that miserable guy that hates everyone because they're too blonde, attractive, good at their job, well-liked, and queer...

But what if that guy was a serial killer?

Things could get messy.

What if the coworker he directed his anger towards that was too blonde, attractive, good at his job, well-liked, and queer...

was also a serial killer?

Things could get even messier. And they do.

Gerald hates everything and everyone at the hospital where he works...especially nurse Chadwick, with his charisma, and likeability. Gerald knows he can't kill his coworker or he could lose his ability to continue his hobby, doubling as the killer the world knows as the Skin Shaver, so he decides to target Chadwick's family instead, hoping to get Chadwick out of his life a different way. What he doesn't know...

is that Chadwick is also a serial killer. They're two of a kind and they're about to butt heads in a brutal, gory, cuss-filled, extravaganza full of torture and depravity.

Warning: This is Extreme Horror. This book is not for everyone. Read the trigger warning page and exclude yourself if it applies to you.

Review:

Chadwick is a hospital nurse who takes his job very seriously and works many hours. Hidden underneath his exterior is someone no one really knows. He has many dark secrets and honestly really does not care much for people or being around them. 

Gerald is a janitor at the same hospital. He hates everyone and he hates his job. He feels used and undervalued by the staff, always being ordered to do the dirty jobs, but never shown appreciation. He has deep, dark secrets and takes great pleasure in his hidden hobbies.

When their worlds collide outside of the work place, it becomes a fight to survive as they discover each others secrets and are brought into each others depravity. 

Chadwick and Gerald, two very different characters on the exterior, but deep down they desire one thing, something they both have in common...murder. 

Both of these characters are very well written. It was a bit difficult to decide wether to loathe them or feel a bit sorry for them as their upbringing was a huge factor as to why they have become who they are. A very heartbreaking story, indeed. 

Amongst all the disturbing, dread inducing brutality, there is also family dynamics, life in the work place, and an intriguing bit of mystery to unfold. 

A very gory and dark read, delving us into the minds and lives of two psychopaths. The more we learn as many of their secrets are revealed, the darker, more horrific, disturbing and chilling it becomes.

Extremely intense!

Horror readers who love their books deeply depraved will love this one!

Goodreads Author Link:

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/

Amazon Author Link:

https://www.amazon.com/stores/Chisto-Healy/author/

Author Website:

https://chistohealy.com/

Review Links:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/

https://app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/

All The Sand And Tears A Monkey Can Buy by Mort Stone

 

Rating: ★★★★★

Genre: Horror

Format: eBook

Pages: 38

Read: 04/16/23

Synopsis:

It finally happened.
They dropped the bomb!
Six people will converge on a store called O.K. GROCERIES, to try to hide from the radiation and regroup until they can come up with a plan.
But there are things far more dangerous than the toxic air.
Humans.
How fast will humanity crumble when faced with the end of the world?

The span of this story is only about an hour, but you will not believe how much can happen in that time. Don’t blink or you will miss something.

Review:

The beginning starts out with a blind date and what ensues inside the car is almost worse than the nuclear bomb!

I am still chuckling!! 

Character and plot driven, Mort delivers an apocolyptic, horrific, and comical tale of humans thrown into chaotic situations. 

Accidents happening, bullets flying, and a fight for survival.

One heck of a surprise plot twist that shocked me and actually caused a jaw drop! 

The ending was also a big surprise, bleak and a bit terrifying! Shivers!

"Your life, from now on, is like all the sand and tears a monkey can buy. It means nothing."

All accept for the happy little camper that snagged all the Twinkies....he's so happy one would think he found a bucket of gold. 

Lots of action from start to finish, bits of humor, and it all comes together and shows that the unique title makes total sense.

Bravo!! 

Goodreads Author Link:

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/

Amazon Author Link:

https://www.amazon.com/stores/Mort-Stone/author/

Godless Author Link:

https://godless.com/collections/

Godless Website Purchase Link:

https://godless.com/products/

The Mort Report:

https://www.uncomfortablydark.com/

Review Links:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/

https://app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/

Cargo by Ruth Anna Evans

 

Rating: ★★★★★

Genre: Coming-of-age/Dystopian/Sci-Fi

Format: eBook/ARC

Pages: 88

Read: 04/16/23

Synopsis:

Cargo is the story of twelve-year-old Marilee, who is fleeing alone from a home that has been destroyed by famine and beset by roving gangs who steal infants for their flesh. When we first meet her, she is trapped in a cargo container that has just run out of air.

Review:

"If you die with someone, are they still a stranger?"

12 year old, Marilee, has been sent away by her mother, hoping she will be provided with a better life. Their planet is dying, everyone is starving, and life is hanging in the balance for them all. 

She is among many others being shipped in a cargo container upon a ship flying them to another planet. Their journey is harrowing and when they arrive it becomes an even bigger nightmare. They have been thrust into a darker pit of despair than the one they just came from.

The descriptive atmosphere produces a claustrophobic enduced feeling of anxiety and dread. I could feel the desperation as I journeyed along, wanting to give them the air they needed, water to drink, and a brighter future at their intended destination. The journey they have been forced to embark on is horrifying and heartbreaking, deep within the core of the heart and soul. 

Beautifully written and utterly tragic!

I need to mend my heart now!

Thank you so much, Ruth Anna Evans, for providing me with a complimentary copy, much appreciated!

Goodread Author Link:

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/

Amazon Author Link:

https://www.amazon.com/stores/Ruth-Anna-Evans/author/

Author Website Link:

https://sites.google.com/view/ruthannaevans/

Review Links:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/

https://app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/

The Relict (Skulldiggery Book 1) by D.M. Gritzmacher

Rating: ★★★★★ 

Genre: Occult Horror

Format: eBook

Pages: 282

Read: 04/14/23

Synopsis: 

The discovery of skeletal remains opens old wounds in a quiet Midwestern community decades after multiple young women had vanished without a trace from the area. Russell Stander returns to the wooded site of his big sister’s crude burial filled with foreboding and hoping for closure. But, near the grim visage known locally as Skull Rock, more badly decomposed human remains are soon discovered.
Gunnar, a Norseman settler, comes face to face with the evil that slaughtered his family. To save his clan, Gunnar undertakes a harrowing odyssey across the untamed wilderness of North America. Desperate to stay one step ahead of the malevolent force that stalks him.
Two men, born a thousand years apart, their destinies bound together by a timeless evil. Can either man unravel the mystery of the monstrous thing lurking unseen before it consumes them and everyone they love…?

Review:

"The wind screamed down the valley. Whether hurriedly scattering or running from the stench of decay it carried was impossible to know. Either way, the smell was what drew them. While the four Norse riders all had witnessed plenty of death in their lifetimes, as well as the wickedness desperate men could do, the scene before them now would leave each badly shaken. Their eyes were forever seared by the sights encountered that day."

Following two timelines of present day and the 10th century, the story begins with Ethan using a GPR to find long buried artifacts while also completing his research and Ph.D project. What he uncovers is completely unexpected and will begin a series of disturbing events. This brings in a retired detective and re-opens old wounds from past tragedies, of cases that were never solved.

Going back in time to the 10th century, we are introduced to the Norsemen and Native Americans. A dark journey through their lands and their lives. Their children are disappearing and they believe their lands are cursed. When it is discovered that something evil is lurking, one of the clan must adventure through the wilderness to confront the evil and save his people.

Intertwining these timelines, these lives will forever be altered. The same evil must be confronted before it destroys them all.

Engaging from the start, the story only gets better. There is occult horror, mystery, and an investigation that only adds more excitement. The atmosphere during the 10th century is dark and forboding along with terror and sadness. The present day finds and investigation keeps one guessing and weaves a path of the unexpected. Surprising plot twists and an unpredictable ending along with an even more surprising epilogue! 

I loved the character development, the mythology and folklore, the detailed descriptions, how the story came together, and the uneasy ending!

Captivating and engaging!

Great writing, awesome storytelling!

"Monsters in human masks walk among us."

I am looking forward to reading the next book: The Quarry: Skulldiggery Book 2

https://www.amazon.com/Quarry-Skulldiggery-Book-2-ebook/dp/B0BYBBXLZK?ref_=ast_author_dp

Goodreads Author Link:

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/

Amazon Author Link:

https://www.amazon.com/stores/DM-Gritzmacher/author/

Bookbub Author Link:

https://www.bookbub.com/authors/dm-gritzmacher

Author Website:

https://gritzmonster.com/

Review Links:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show

https://www.bookbub.com/reviews/

https://app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/

Night's Plutonian Shore (Night Trilogy Book 1) by Garrett Boatman

Rating: ★★★★★ 

Genre: Horror/Sci-Fi

Format: eBook

Pages: 385

Read: 04/02/23

Synopsis:

Researching sustainable energy, Rick’s best friend Wally has discovered a means to tap into the bioplasmic energy field that surrounds all living things. He envisions trains and office towers running off collective psi. But when he invites his friends to test his psychotronic generator, they unleash demons residing in the human old brain, the seat of aggression and primal drives.

As the body count rises, it becomes clear, for these creatures of the id to survive, their creators must die. Pursued by police and hunted by their doubles, the choice is simple: kill or be killed.

Even if the face of the enemy is your own.

Review:

"If there was a place they weren’t supposed to go, they went. Like most kids, they were drawn to deserted spots—empty buildings, warehouses, barges—places where they could shake off the shackles of school and home and piss in a corner and indulge their adolescent appetites for destruction."

Doppelgangers, are they creepy to you? From movies I have watched and books I have read they scare me every time, completely give me the chills. The idea of an evil double is terrifying. 

When a group of friends test their "psychotronic generator" they unknowingly open a portal and unleash demonic dopppelgagngers of themselves. The atrocities that occur have them not only living in fear for their own lives but everyone they know. They must now figure out how to stop them as the death toll rises and crimes are being committed. How will they prove to the authorities that it wasn't them? How many will die before they can be stopped? 

I love the characters and their relationship with each other. They were not perfect and had many flaws. From brothers fighting but still deep down have an unbreakable love for each other. Close friendships, family dynamics, broken realtionships, and new relationships are all built upon and we get to closely know each character. Rooting for some and wishing others would be handed a blow or two. 

If it wasn't for the supernatural elements, this felt like reading about a neighborhood that could easily be real. The relationships between the characters and their families touch on real life. Some that are strong and some that are severely broken. 

There are many moments that are brutal and heartbreaking, this is dark horror with sci-fi elements that create a gloomy atmosphere with spine tingling, evil doppelganger's causing devastation and fear. 

Edgy and tense! I really enjoyed reading this and as it is a planned trilogy, I am looking forward to continuing to read them all as I need to know how the story is going to continue. 

"Get thee back into the tempest and the Night’s Plutonian shore!" —Poe, “The Raven”

Goodreads Author Link:

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/

Amazon Author Link:

https://www.amazon.com/stores/Garrett-Boatman/author/

Bookbub Author Link:

https://www.bookbub.com/authors/garrett-boatman

Review Links:

https://www.goodreads.com/review

https://app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/

Author Website:

https://www.garrettboatmanauthor.com/

https://www.garrettboatmanauthor.com/books.html

Hybrid Sequence Media Website:

https://hybridsequencemedia.com/about/