REVIEW: 13: An Anthology of Horror and Dark Fiction

Genre: Horror Anthology

Publisher: Limitless Publishing

Publication Date: 4^th Oct 2016

Pages: 435

REVIEWED BY NEV

A copy of 13: An Anthology of Horror and Dark Fiction, was sent to Confessions of a Reviewer by one of the contributors in exchange for an honest review. This is said review. This book is published by Limitless Press.

Anthologies. Love em or hate em, there have been a tonne of them out this year. To be honest I have probably already read my fill of anthologies and collections for the year so 13 is sort of up against it from the outset. It will need to be a good one to keep me reading.

On the other hand, I have read a few books from Limitless and they normally produce some really good stuff so I am hoping this is the same.

I won’t say which contributor sent the copy to me. If you know me though it shouldn’t be too hard to guess.

Anyway, this is what I thought of 13.

REVIEW: Adam Howe - Tijuana Donkey Showdown

Genre: Pick One!

Publisher: Comet Press

Publication Date: 9^th December 2016

Pages: 230

REVIEWED BY NEV

A copy of Tijuana Donkey Showdown was sent to Confessions of a Reviewer by the author Adam Howe in exchange for an honest review. This is said review. This book is published by Comet Press.

It is no secret that I absolutely love Adam Howe’s writing. Anything I have read from him before gives me the greatest of pleasure both during the reading, and once I have finished. You cannot help but have a huge smile on your face for days after finishing one of his books. They are that good.

His mixture of genres is superb. His last book, Die Dog or Eat The Hatchet, mixed up horror and comedy and southern noir with splattering’s of crime and mystery and a host of other genres to boot.

One of the stories in it was Damn Dirty Apes where the unlikely hero, Reggie Levine has to battle all sorts of unspeakable things to survive, and keep his reputation intact.

Tijuana Donkey Showdown is the sequel to Damn Dirty Apes. It was a no brainer that I was going to pick this one up.

This is what I thought.

It’s two for one day at Confessions!

REVIEW ONE:

Go buy it. Don’t read anyone’s review, including mine, they will not do it justice!

REVIEW: Michael Bray - The Island

Genre: Horror

Publisher: Severed Press

Publication Date: 4^th October 2015

Pages: 206

REVIEWED BY CHAD

A copy of The Island was sent to Confessions of a Reviewer by the author, Michael Bray, in exchange for an honest review. This is said review. This book is published by Severed Press.

In The Island, by Michael Bray, we see a society in which reality television has become a performance platform for violence and death. The island itself is a man-made land mass on which a competition has been resurrected to air for the first time as a television series.

Contestants are set loose on the island and only one can survive to the end. Their prize? Whatever it is they desire. All they have to do is make it from one side of the island to the other.

Oh, and they have to make it through an island packed full of dinosaurs.

The main character of the story, Chase Riley, decides to take part in the newly revamped show in order to save his daughter who is suffering from terminal cancer. Against the wishes of his wife, he enters into the show, hoping that a victory will bring in the money they lacked, in order to get their daughter, the treatment she needs.

Putting all my honesty down on the table, I have to admit that I was a little dubious of the concept of this book going into it. My concern was that this was going to just end up feeling like a modern reimagining of The Running Man, but with dinosaurs as an artificial attempt to add an extra element to an already successful story. Still, I was also intrigued by the idea and was willing to give it a go.

REVIEW: Mark Cassell - The Shadow Fabric

Genre: Horror

Publisher: Herbs House

Publication Date: 18^th October 2014

Pages: 340

REVIEWED BY NEV

The Shadow Fabric is Mark Cassell’s first novel. This book is published by Herbs House.

This book pops a couple of Confessions cherries tonight. Firstly, it is Mark Cassell’s first time being reviewed on Confessions.

Today he becomes a man.

Also this is the first ever book that I bought at a con. I met Mark at Emcon in Nottingham and to be honest I had no intentions of buying any books at that stage, but he impressed me so much with his enthusiasm that I bought them all. And stole a few bookmarks. And sweets.

This is another one that sat on the pile for a while because it wasn’t a direct submission for review. I was struggling to decide which one to read next instead of following the normal strict list. When this one caught my eye, I thought I would give it a go.

This is what I thought.

Leo is confused. He has had a troubling life. The problem is he can’t remember any of it bar the last couple of years. He has just returned from a years traveling around the world and his guardian of sorts, Goodwin, has a job for him. He wants him to go work for his friend Victor as a chauffeur.

Leo soon discovers that chauffeuring will not be the only job he will be doing for Victor. On his second day he witnesses a murder. On his third day he witnesses much, much worse.

What follows, is a race against time. A race against evil. A race against unknown forces. A race against The Shadow Fabric.

This is a race that no one can afford to lose.

REVIEW: David Bernstein - The Sludge

Genre: Horror

Publisher: Great Old Ones Publishing

Publication Date: 4^th July 2016

Pages: 131

REVIEWED BY NEV

A copy of The Sludge was sent to Confessions of a Reviewer by the author, David Bernstein, in exchange for an honest review. This is said review. This book is published by Great Old Ones Publishing.

Sometimes this reviewing game throws you surprises. A lot in fact. A lot of welcome surprises. One of them that never fails to amaze me is the fact that, sometimes you read someone’s work and rave about it. Then you pick up something else of theirs and it doesn’t do a lot for you. When you review it, you automatically think that is the last you will hear from that author. Think this reviewing lark is easy? It’s a minefield I tell you.

David Bernstein’s last book, A mixed Bag of Blood was a collection that I didn’t really connect with. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed it, but it didn’t grab me the way some of his other stuff has.

I was delighted when David sent me a copy of The Sludge to review. Firstly, because he hadn’t fallen out with me, and secondly because…..well…..just look at that cover! It screams old skool horror! I couldn’t wait to get my teeth into it.

This is what I thought.

Bull and John are removing some toxic waste. They should dispose of it carefully but they are just going to dump it in Lolo National Forest.

They throw it in a lake and it mixes with some stuff they dumped years ago and starts a chain of events that will create a monster no one thought could ever exist.

Cole and Derrick are brothers. They are about to rob a bank with their friend, Dirk. The plan is to hide out in Lolo after the job is done.

Edgar, June, Kim and Tyler are hiking in Lolo when they stumble across the camp belonging to the brothers. Everyone is in for the shock of their lives.

The Sludge is brewing.

NEXT WEEK: A WEEK OF MARK CASSELL

Next week sees another of Confessions week long features on an author we think you should be reading more of, and certainly one we think you will be seeing a lot more of in the years to come.

If you have been to any cons in the UK recently you will probably have met him, and you will probably agree as well, that he is one of the nicest, most approachable guys in the UK horror scene.

We talk, of course, about the one and only, Mark Cassell.

REVIEW: Wayne Lemmons - The Story's Writer

Genre: Horror

Publisher: Self-Published

Publication Date: 1^st April 2016

Pages: 172

REVIEWED BY NEV

A copy of The Story’s Writer was sent to Confessions of a Reviewer by the author, Wayne Lemmons, in exchange for an honest review. This is said review. This book is self-published.

You know how I like a funny story of how I got a book to review? Well, Mr Lemmons doesn’t know this, but there is a funny story for this one. Someone recommended his writing to me and said I should check it out. Well, they didn’t, exactly. They recommended someone else. I got the name wrong. I didn’t find this out until a few months after we had made contact and the books were in the pile for review.

So, obligated as I was, I couldn’t do anything about it and had to go with my promises. Did it turn out to be a fortuitous mistake on my behalf?

This is what I thought.

Amy is a single mom. She works very hard to keep a stable household and a steady life for her son, Bailey. The only thing she keeps for herself is a lifestyle of one night stands that, while leaving Bailey to fend for himself, keeps her sane. Not ideal for anyone, but they survive.

On one of these one night stands, she meets Grant. A horror writer that seems to be very grounded, and very interested in meeting Bailey, when he can. Could this be Mr Right at last?

When things blossom and Amy and Bailey move in with Grant, all seems to be going swimmingly. Until Grant starts to write his new book about ghosts. It really seems to Bailey like Grant has brought some of his research home with him.

REVIEW: Rich Hawkins - King Carrion - Review #2

Genre: Horror

Publisher: Sinister Horror Company

Publication Date: 17^th Sept 2016

Pages: 132

REVIEWED BY ALEX

A copy of King Carrion was sent to Confessions of a Reviewer by the publishers, Sinister Horror Company in exchange for an honest review. This is said review.

Getting back into the spirit of posting multiple reviews for the same books, Confessions gives you the second review of King Carrion by Rich Hawkins.

Tonight’s review is brought to you by Alex Kimmell:

If you’re a fan of horror fiction, chances are pretty good that you’ve read at least a couple of books about vampires and zombies. You’ve seen the movies, television shows and maybe even flipped through the overabundance of comic books out there. You are familiar with the end of the world tropes where all of us humans are scraped from the face of the Earth like so many crumbs from a plate of chocolate chip cookies. As the saying goes, there is nothing new under the sun, or even the moon.

However, there are a certain, special few who divert from these well-worn, shadowed paths just enough to impress new footprints in the muddy diversion of a fresh trail.

REVIEW: Patrick Lacey - Dream Woods

Genre: Horror

Publisher: Sinister Grin Press

Publication Date: 1^st October 2016

Pages: 135

REVIEWED BY NEV:

A copy of Dream Woods by Patrick Lacey, was sent to Confessions of a Reviewer by the publisher, Sinister Grin Press, via Hook of a Book Media and Publicity in exchange for an honest review. This is said review.

Sinister Grin is a press I respect a lot. They put out some wonderful books and seem to be on the pulse when it comes to how they operate, and how they look after their authors. That needs to be commended when talking about a smaller, up and coming press. Especially in today’s climate, when so many small, and also bigger presses, seem to be falling by the wayside.

They also seem to be getting their hands on some wonderful authors at the minute. One of those is Patrick Lacey. This is a young man who I have previously tipped for big things in the horror world so I was delighted to get an opportunity to read and review his latest novella, Dream Woods.

This is what I thought.

Vince is an ex punk. Covered in tattoos that he needs to keep hidden for his new life as an accountant, he lives for his family. He is also trying to keep his family together. His wife, Audra, doesn’t seem happy and he suspects she wants to leave. He would be right. He sees an opportunity to try and make things better when he sees a billboard advertising the reopening of his favourite ever place from his childhood, Dream Woods Amusement park. This could be perfect for himself, Audra, and their two boys, Tim and Andrew.

Author Regina Michaels, is working on her latest book. It is about Dream Woods. She wants to expose the truth about it’s dark past. She should know all about it. She used to work there.

When circumstances throw them all together, they must join forces to try and survive the evil that lurks within the gates of Dream Woods.

REVIEW: L.X. Cain - Bloodwalker

Genre: Horror

Publisher: Freedom Fox Press

Publication Date: 4^th October 2016

Pages: 284

REVIEWED BY NEV

A copy of Bloodwalker was sent to Confessions of a Reviewer by the author, L.X Cain, in exchange for an honest review. This is said review. This book is published by Freedom Fox Press.

Another fresh name to me that I had the pleasure of receiving an email request to read and review Bloodwalker from. L.X. Cain is a name I have seen around. A lot. I always meant to pick something up but this old reviewing lark doesn’t leave a lot of personal time for reading stuff I just want to pick up.

On the other hand, when you want to pick something up by someone and they ask if you can review something, well, you’re obligated aren’t you?

Bloodwalker had a very interesting synopsis. It intrigued me. This is what I thought.

The Zorka Circus is travelling through Europe. It doesn’t stay long in any one place but when it leaves, it always takes something extra with it.

Young children are going missing and the Circus’ security chief, Rurik, thinks it is one of the performers that is responsible. He needs to find out who it is and put an end to it. For his own sanity and the security of the circus.

Sylvie is getting married at the circus. She is known as a bloodwalker, from the Skomori clan, a clan despised by nearly everyone. Untrusted and seen as ghoulish, they get a hard time wherever they go.

When Sylvie discovers some bones in a trailer, this puts her directly in the path of the killer. It looks like Rurik is the only one that can help. What they are about to have to confront, is something neither of them could have ever imagined.

REVIEW: Daniel Marc Chant - Into Fear: 22 Bizarre Tales of Despair and Dread

Genre: Dread & Despair Collection

Publisher: Sinister Horror Company

Publication Date: 1^st October 2016

Pages: 290

REVIEWED BY NEV

A copy of Into Fear was sent to Confessions of a Reviewer by the author, Daniel Marc Chant, in exchange for an honest review. This is said review. This book is published by the Sinister Horror Company.

So another one by Daniel Marc Chant, or Mr Posh to his friends. A collection of stories no less. Twenty-two in all. Where does he get the time to write these things, let alone the ideas? It is no secret I like his writing and it is no secret that I have been impressed this year in the variety of his writing as well. The last one I read was sci-fi, this one is branded as “22 Bizarre Tales of Despair and dread” I seem to have quite a lot of both in my life at the minute but still thought I would give it a go.

I have to confess to having an ultra-rare paper copy of this book that I don’t even think got into print many moons ago but I never got around to reading it.

For that, I apologise, Mr Chant.

This is what I thought of the new version.

DREADMILL

Lindsay and Susan are at the gym. Lindsay has new trainers and Susan wants them. She sets Lindsay a series of challenges and makes some promises along the road in trying to get her hands on them.

All this while the zombie apocalypse is going on outside.

REVIEW: Kristal Stittle - Merciless

Genre: Horror

Publisher: Sinister Grin Press

Publication Date: 1^st June 2016

Pages: 129

REVIEWED BY CHAD

A copy of Merciless by Kristal Stittle was sent to Confessions of a Reviewer by the publisher, Sinister Grin Press, in exchange for an honest review. This is said review.

There is a common and, in my opinion, misguided idea when it comes to writing that there are certain plots that one should steer clear from, that ground which has been treaded on one too many times can never be fertile and should be left to go barren. The thing is, as much as we all likely fancy ourselves as shining lights of ingenuity and creativity, there really are only so many stories that can be told. Sure, we can put some individual touches and color tones to the picture but in the end, it isn’t often that I read something or watch something and get at least a little touch of déjà vu or a feeling of “haven’t we been here before”?

Case in point would be the book Merciless, by Kristal Stittle. I found the book to be highly entertaining and delivered in a way that felt fresh and seemed clear that the author was invested in it. The story itself is simple enough. The protagonist, Mercy, is home alone while her boyfriend is off having a weekend with his friends. Mercy begins to receive phone calls that start as merely curious and quickly progress to creepy and disturbing. When she decides to try and get out of the house and spend some time at her parent’s house, the calls mysteriously follow her and soon she finds herself in the middle of an all-out home invasion.

REVIEW: The Behrg - The Creation: Axis Mundi (Creation Series #1)

Genre: A bit of everything

Publisher: Pricks Like Thorn Media

Publication Date: 1^st Sept 2015

Pages: 266

REVIEWED BY NEV

A copy of The Creation: Axis Mundi (Creation Series #1) was sent to Confessions of a Reviewer by the author, The Behrg, in return for an honest review. This is said review.

The Behrg. A name I have seen a lot of on social media. A name that has intrigued me. Why use the name The Behrg? What does it mean? If he signs a book, does he sign it “Thanks for your support……The”?

Anyway. I read a short story of a while ago and loved it then saw some sterling recommendations for his work. Fate brought us together and I managed to bag a copy of The Creation for review. I wasn’t totally aware of what this book was about but I definitely wanted to read it after a short sample of his writing style. I have to admit to it sitting on my pile for a long time due to other commitments. When I started to read it, I couldn’t help but wonder if I should have picked it up earlier.

This is what I thought.

Faye is leading a merry band of eco-revolutionaries deep into the Venezuelan Rainforest, to try and put an end to illegal deforestation in the area.

Accompanying her is her current boyfriend, a highly respected actor who is eager to get his face on the television supporting this noble cause.

Duggan is a phytopharmacologist, searching the rainforest for remedies useful to pharmaceutical companies aiming to make a lot of money. He has a hidden agenda though. He is also searching for someone. Someone ancient and thought to hold powers beyond anything that man can imagine.

Faye also has a hidden agenda, and it concerns Duggan. He doesn’t know just yet but, their paths are sure to cross.

They both have no idea of the power that is coming for them both. Is this going to be the end, or a new Creation?

REVIEW: Chad Lutzke - Of Foster Homes and Flies

Genre: Horror / Coming of Age

Publisher: Scary Carpet

Publication Date: 22 July 2016

Pages: 162

REVIEWED BY NEV

A copy of Of Foster Homes and Flies was sent to Confessions of a Reviewer by the author, Chad Lutzke, in exchange for an honest review. This is said review. This book is published by Scary Carpet.

This is a book that, to be honest wouldn’t have been on my radar if it hadn’t been sent to me by Mr Lutzke for review. A mutual friend of ours, and fantastic author in his own rite, James Newman, mentioned to Chad that he should send me a copy. After a recommendation like that, it was hard for me not to give it a whirl.

I knew nothing of Mr Lutzke before this book and had no idea what he even wrote. Sometimes those are the best positions to be in when picking up someone new.

This is what I thought.

Denny Newman lives alone with his mom. She loves her television and the bottle more than she loves him. He gets by though. He knows how to look after himself.

One morning he finds his mom dead, on her favourite seat, in front of her favourite television, with an empty bottle of her favourite kind by her side.

Denny is now in a panic. He has the spelling bee in a few days’ time. He knows if he reports her death he will end up in a home and miss the bee. What should he do? Only he can decide.

So first of all, coming as a recommendation from Mr Newman, I was expecting an out and out horror. This is certainly not an out and out horror. This is a coming of age story that…….well let me go back to my normal format…

REVIEW: Brett McBean - The Invasion

Genre: Horror

Publisher: Sinister Grin Press

Publication Date: 15^th May 2016

Pages: 368

REVIEWED BY CHAD

A copy of The Invasion by Brett McBean was sent to Confessions of a Reviewer by the publishers, Sinister Grin Press via Hook of a Book Publicity in exchange for an honest review. This is said review.

For only the second time ever, Confessions is posting a second review for the same book. We in the Confessional have decided that rather than only letting one reviewer pick up a book at a time, we would let anyone take whatever they wanted and if more than one person read the same book, then so be it, we would still post the review on the site.

The main reason for this is so that we can offer readers varying reviews of the same book so it doesn't always look to be biased. We are hoping that it will give you lot that read these reviews, a little bit of extra help in deciding what you want to buy. So on with Chad's review.

REVIEW: Rich Hawkins - King Carrion

Genre: Horror

Publisher: Sinister Horror Company

Publication Date: 17^th Sept 2016

Pages: 132

REVIEWED BY CHAD

A copy of King Carrion was sent to Confessions of a Reviewer by the publishers, Sinister Horror Company in exchange for an honest review. This is said review.

As a child of the eighties, I was born and raised on what I consider to be one of the golden ages of horror fiction. Franchises were born here, franchises that, to this day we find ourselves unable to escape from. And while there are any number of instances where we, as a culture have lost our way, there is one specific area which I particularly lament where we seem to have gone wrong.

I speak specifically of vampires.

A lot of this is likely going to seem directed at Twilight and to be sure, much of it for me came from that particular franchise. If that’s your thing, all the power to you but for me, it was way too far of a stone’s throw from the classic films I grew up with. Vampires used to be cool, they were dangerous and gritty. Vampires were a force to be reckoned with in the fictional landscape.

Then things began to change and it was almost like vampires started to become too precious. The intensity of the genre seemed to lessen and with the exception of a few standout films, vampire fiction seemed to become very bland and for a long time now, I have been waiting for a beam of light to show us the way through this long vampiric nightmare we seem to exist within.

Enter King Carrion, by Rich Hawkins, stage left.

REVIEW: Glenn Rolfe - Chasing Ghosts

Genre: Horror

Publisher: Sinister Grin Press

Publication Date: 1^st August 2016

Pages: 102

REVIEWED BY NEV

A copy of Chasing Ghosts was sent to Confessions of a Reviewer by the author, Glenn Rolfe, in exchange for an honest review. This is said review. This book is published by Sinister Grin Press.

Glenn Rolfe hooking up with Sinister Grin Press. Who would have thought it! Well, me, actually. Well again, it’s a combination I could see working very well. A young, up and coming author with a passion for the genre joining forces with a young, up and coming press, also with a passion for the genre. This could only mean great things right?

My last read in the Glenn Rolfe world was Things We Fear. I wasn’t taken as much with it as I was with, say, his novel Blood and Rain. This made me a little apprehensive about Chasing Ghosts. I am always nervous picking up someone’s new work when the last one didn’t shake me.

You can read my thoughts of the books Confessions has reviewed of Glenn’s at the bottom of this review. This is what I thought of Chasing Ghosts.

Jesse and his pal, Davey, and the new boy, Luke, are going chasing ghosts. A term they use when they want to get away from things and go exploring and daring each other in the woods. They don’t realise that the ghosts are real.

When they go missing, Jesse’s dad, Derek, goes out of his mind so much that he goes searching for them. He didn’t expect to find the ghosts either. But he did.

Mixed up with a crowd of punk, dope heads, Derek finds things he couldn’t have imagined in his worst nightmares. Now everyone seems to be running from the ghosts.

REVIEW: J.G. Clay - Tales of Blood and Sulphur

Genre: Horror

Publisher: Shadow Work Publishing

Publication Date: 29^th July 2015

Pages: 214

REVIEWED BY NEV:

A copy of Tales of Blood and Sulphur: Apocalypse Minor was sent to Confessions of a Reviewer by the author, J.G Clay in exchange for an honest review. This is said review. This book is published by Shadow Work Publishing.

Sometimes things take a strange twist and you end up reading something unexpected.

This is the case with this one. I have been friends with J.G Clay’s alter ego, Pardip Basra, on Facebook for a while now. I thought he was another book lover. I didn’t realise he was J.G Clay. Then through some weird circumstances, we got thrown into conversation and it was suggested I needed to give Tales of Blood and Sulphur a go. I was actually very glad when I was asked if I wanted a copy to review. I have seen some really good things about this man’s writing and this book in particular on social media. After picking it up, I then discovered that this edition is published by Shadow Work Publishing. Those guys don’t put out rubbish so it must be a match made in heaven right?

This is what I thought.

CONFESSIONS IS BACK WITH A BANG!!

Well, after a well-earned (I think) rest, Confessions is going to be coming back at you next week. Instead of working you in gently, we are coming at you with a week full of interviews, reviews and guest posts. In other words, a normal week for Confessions!

We will be kicking off our Autumn collection with J.G. Clay week next week.

REVIEW: Mercedes M. Yardley - Apocalyptic Montessa and Nuclear Lulu: A Tale of Atomic Love

Genre: Horror

Publisher: Crystal Lake Publishing

Publication Date: 4^th March 2016

Pages: 121

REVIEWED BY CHAD

A copy of Apocalyptic Montessa and Nuclear Lulu: A Tale of Atomic Love by Mercedes M. Yardley was sent to Confessions of a Reviewer by the publisher, Crystal Lake Publishing, in exchange for an honest review. This is said review.

Apocalyptic Montessa and Nuclear Lulu: A Tale of Atomic Love by Mercedes M. Yardley is a fun take on several different genres and manages to take brush strokes from each in a brilliant effort to create a new, uniquely molded book.

The book has two main characters. As the story opens, Montessa is on her way home from work when she is fallen upon and abducted by serial killer, Lu. He figures out very quickly that Montessa isn’t like any other women he has killed before. She is captivating to him and surprisingly, as the story shifts over to Montessa’s point of view, we find that she is becoming just as taken with Lu. In each other, Montessa and Lu discover the holes in their lives they had never realized were there in the first place.

Soon, Montessa no longer travels along with Lu as his victim, but rather as his partner and his lover.