
This quarter includes stories about Bigfoot, Vikings, amateur sleuths, and Gothic ghosts!
The Devil Took Her by Michael Botur is a gritty and compelling collection of horror short stories with subjects like gangs and rats rather than werewolves and specters. Kindle.
Autumn Gothic by Brian Bowyer. Despite the title, my favorite Bowyer book yet is more extreme horror than Gothic horror, and NONE of his characters are safe. KU.
Whodunit? I was clueless until the end!
Double Date Disaster by Hope Callaghan. A cute, Golden Girls type of cast made this a fun cozy mystery. Whodunit? I was clueless until the end! Kudos to Callaghan for stumping me. KU.
Murder in a Dream by Thea Cambert. Happy people in happy places with nice conversations don’t make a cozy mystery very exciting, but readers’ mileage may vary. KU.
The nice-guy prince of horror wrote a YA space adventure?!
Light-Years from Home by Michaelbrent Collings. OMGosh, the super nice man who writes bloody, violent thrillers wrote a cute, chatty YA space adventure. Advanced copy from author.
Egyptian adventures!
She Who Returns by Audrey Driscoll. The sequel to She Who Comes Forth wraps up France Leighton’s Egyptian adventures with a storyline I couldn’t predict and a protagonist I’ve come to love. KU.
Blackened Rose by Cage Dunn. I am a fan of Dunn’s short fiction, but this novel-length, supernatural crime story didn’t suit me because of the long contemplative passages, but I dug the noir prose. KU.
“Bigfoot: A Short Story” by D.L. Finn. Using mostly blog posts for narration gives this light-horror story an au currant feel and presents a different theory of our relationship with the cryptid creature. Kindle.
A Voice in the Silence by D.L. Finn. Finn combines talking animals, domestic suspense, paranormal mystery, and romance for a story that left me with happy tears. KU.
Grief as a character.
Almost Ruth by Tyler Jones. With Jones’ skilled writing, grief becomes a character, and though this is a horror story, it’s more of the dread kind, not the slasher kind. KU.
Life & Soul by Harmony Kent. OMGosh, what an awesome poetry collection of emotional, life-exposing, soul-touching pieces! KU.
Red by Jack Ketchum. Ketchum’s classic story about a man and his dog is two parts psychological horror and one part gorgeous descriptions (ala Flannery O’Connor, honest descriptions in that they don’t avert the reader’s gaze). KU.
“Tapped” by Axl Malton is the author’s debut short story and a fun exploration of the revenge-horror trope. KU.
Can a character be too pleasant?
Coffee & Corpses by Maisy Marple. A cozy mystery with a pleasant main character, maybe too pleasant. KU.
The Bad Ones by Kelly Martin. Book two in Martin’s The Red Mirror series of middle grade books employs Martin’s chatty style, warm characters, and goose-bumpy mirror scenes. Kindle.
“Bunnies” by Simon McHardy and Sean Hawker. I am an experienced horror reader, but even my stomach was turned by this extreme horror short story of rabbits gone mad. (Trigger warnings as long as your arm.) Ebook from Potter’s Grove Press.
Folk horror set in Croatia.
It Eats Us from the Inside by Antonija Meznaric. The slow, dread-filled pace of this folk horror novella set in near future Croatia won’t suit everyone, but I loved the atmospheric dread, the diverse cast, the dog, and the ambiguous passages that made me think. Advanced copy from publisher.
Bishop by Candace Nola. There are geography and weather errors in this genre creature-feature set in Alaska, and the setup takes awhile, but once the creatures are on stage, it’s a fast and fun story that had me rooting for the good guys. KU.
Dancing in the Shadows ed by Elaine Pascale and Rebeca Rowland is a charity anthology tribute to Anne Rice with strong writing and a good cause (Animal Rescue of New Orleans). KU.
The Insurgent by Teri Polen. Book two of Polen’s YA science fiction duology is packed full of action scenes and surprise twists broken up by calm moments of internal monologue. NetGalley.
Beware of black-eyed children.
The BEK Curse by Johnathan Pongratz. This harrowing novelette takes a sweet, almost-retired couple and puts them through the ringer when they encounter the black-eyed children of urban legend. KU.
Fugue Devil: Resurgence by Stephen Mark Rainey is a collection of cosmic horror short stories penned by an experienced storyteller and possessing a strong sense of place, mostly in North Carolina or West Virginia. Bonus points for cool cover art by Daniele Serra. Advanced copy from publisher.
34 Orchard, Issue 5, Spring 2022, ed by Kristi Petersen Schoonover. I love this dark literary journal, and the spring issue is no exception with its sophisticated storytelling, emotive poetry, and contemplative illustrations. Free download from the 34 Orchard website.
Viking zombies!
The Again-Walkers by Deborah Sheldon. How awesome that Sheldon puts a new spin on zombies by setting her zombie novelette in the Viking era, before zombies were called zombies (thus the “again-walkers”). KU.
Jagged Feathers by Jan Sikes. Sikes mixes psychic fiction, romance, and crime to produce what’s ultimately a satisfying love story (and I got a kick out of the way Nakina’s grandmother kept popping into scenes). Kindle.
Steampunk Scooby Doo!
The Ghostly Tower by A.F. Stewart is the first novella in Stewart’s lighthearted, steampunk, supernatural mystery series, like a steampunk Scooby Doo for grownups! Kindle.
Sweet and Milky by K.M. Strange. This incredibly bizarre fetish erotica story had me captivated from the first page with a mashup of crime, romance, and Strange’s signature sense of humor. KU.
An extra thumbs-up for a bold twist on the cozy trope.
Cooking the Books by Chelsea Thomas is an almost-formulaic cozy mystery except the main character is not the main (amateur) sleuth, and that gets an extra thumbs-up from me for a bold twist on the trope. KU.
The Pure World Comes by Rami Ungar. This is a reread for me, and the Gothic horror story with its mad scientist and ghosts and portals was just as fun the second time around. Kindle.
Mephisto Disco by Simon Paul Wilson. Wilson’s debut collection of short horror stories has the disappearing kind of prose that puts the plot and characters front and center for an engaging, scary experience. KU.
What’s up with today’s feature image? What does a spider have to do with books? Nothing. It’s just a photo of a female red-backed jumping spider, the first visitor to our new home. Isn’t she pretty?!
Your abundance of reading always inspires. Hope you and your little friend are settling in!
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I’m settling in. My little friend is OUTSIDE now! Thanks for commenting, Crystal!
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The spider is pretty and they are creatures that are very misunderstood and I will have to check out some of those stories you mentioned. Bigfoot has intrigued me for a bit, might have to read that one. Just listened to a great Podcast about it recently – the Somewhere in the Skies Podcast, great Podcast for all things Alien and Supernatural. In case, you need a mind break for a bit. Hope you have a great weekend.
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Hi Anthony! The style of Martin’s The Bad Ones reminded me of your The Living Sand. If you’re in the mood for a MG/YA book, that might be a fun story. Thanks for commenting.:-)
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Picked up the Bigfoot one and the Zombie Viking one. Looked interesting.
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Your spider looks like she was levitating…
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Yeah, how did she stick to the window? Do they have little suction cups on their feet? Maybe she’s dangling by a thread, and we just can’t see the tiny thread. Thanks for stopping by, Deby!
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Wonderful one-sentence reviews, Priscilla. Thank you for sharing.
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Thank you, John.:-) They are fun to write!
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😊
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OMG, Priscilla, what an amazing list of one-sentence reviews! I’m in awe. Congratulations to each of the writers. Bravo!
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Thanks, Gwen.:-) I did read some awesome books this past quarter!
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Thanks, Gwen 💕🙂
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What a pretty spider 🙂 Thanks for including my books in your recaps, Priscilla 🙂 I found more to add to my TBR!
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Hi Denise! I enjoyed both of your books for different reasons. You are a multi-talented, multi-genre author for sure!
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Wow, Priscilla, a great list and a bunch of books I’ve read this time around. Your one-sentence reviews are such a great hook.
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To be able to encapsulate the essence of a story in a single sentence is one of the most crucial — and overlooked — skills a writer can cultivate. If you can’t make your own story “work” as a one-line summary — if you can’t convey the concept and what’s so compelling about it in a logline — you haven’t broken the back of the narrative.
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Thanks for your kind words, Sean, re my one-sentence reviews.:-) And thanks for commenting!
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I remember your posts on loglines, Sean, and I think about it frequently. Its a great way to drill down to the core of a story. Not easy to do either. Some promotion sites will ask for a 250-character or 50-word description of a book and having those succinct log lines on hand helps.
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Thank you, Diana! I totally need to read The Ferryman and the Sea Witch so I can do a one-sentence review of that book.:-) Thanks for commenting!
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Ha ha ha ha. Of course I’d love a one-sentence review!
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That’s quite a reading list, Priscilla. You cracked me up with the Steampunk ScoobyDoo description! 😀
Hugs on the wing.
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Scooby Doo was exactly what popped into my head when I was reading the story.:-) Thanks for commenting, Teagan!
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I love the concept of a one-sentence review, Priscilla. Succinct. Very cool.
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Thanks, Beem.:-) They’re fun to write. Have a fabulous fourth of July weekend!
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I love reading your short book descriptions. I’ve saved several in my Book list on Amazon. (My KU limit is currently full 😉 )
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Thanks for the kind words, Marie.:-) I hope you have a nice 4th of July weekend!
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You too!
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Great reviews Priscilla, and thanks for the mention! 😁 x
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Thanks, Strange.:-) Sweet and Milky is a great read! I hope you’re having a fab weekend!
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As someone afraid of spiders, the first image was a bit shocking! I am amazed it came to visit you in your home but you sound much more welcoming of her than I would be myself, so I think your place better than mine 😛 Love that you read some creepy middle grade last month with Kelly Martin’s book. And I like the sound of the futuristic set Croatia one as well. I don’t think I’ve read anything set in Croatia before, for all the books I’ve read!
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I think you would love the Croatia book. Yeah, me and spiders.:-) Thanks for commenting, Olivia-Savannah!
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Wow… All of these will be added to my reading list now…thanks 👍
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I did have some fun reads this past quarter! Thanks for commenting.:-)
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Wow you have read a lot this quarter! Thanks so much for sharing! That spider made me jump! I think I would describe her more terrifying than pretty tho! But I am arachnophobic!
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I have to admit, spiders are prettier outside than inside. Thanks for commenting, Shari!
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Yes they are! I much prefer them staying in the garden!
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You’ve been busy, Priscilla, and have reminded me that I have accumulated a few collections of short stories, and quite fancy a change, so… Thanks for the recommendations and love the spider as well!
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Short story collections are fun for a change. Happy reading, Olga, and thanks for commenting!
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Viking zombies? Yes, please! Thanks so much for reading and mentioning The Insurgent, Priscilla. You always stun me with how much you can say in one sentence reviews.
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Sheldon’s zombie story was pretty fun. I had a good reading quarter. Thanks for commenting, Teri!
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Hi Priscilla – I do so enjoy your one-sentence reviews! I feel the same way about cozy mysteries, but they are so popular at the library where I work. I have to chuckle at the titles, always a play on words. Thanks for sharing your thoughts – it’s great to see some indies on here too!
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I found a new-to-me cozy author, Ellory Adams. Her writing is still in the fun cozy sector, but it seems more atmospheric or something. I think I’ve stumbled upon the sweet spot! Thanks for commenting, Barb!
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That’s great, Priscilla! So many genres and sub-genres!
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I always love to read your quarterly one-sentence reviews, Priscilla. I see you checked out Ketchum’s RED. It was made into a pretty decent movie in 2008. I think it’s on Amazon Prime.
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I didn’t know it was made into a movie. That’s great! Thanks for commenting, Lionel.:-)
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Reblogged this on The Official Website of Horror and Fantasy Writer Lionel Ray Green and commented:
(Editor’s note: Author Priscilla Bettis’ quarterly one-sentence review posts are just the bee’s knees.)
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Wow, so many great reviews! I totally forgot I had Michaelbrent on my tbr already. Gotta move him up the list a bit!
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I think you’d enjoy MBC’s Light-Years from Home. Thanks for commenting, Jonny!
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Yep, that’s the first one from your list that I put on my tbr. 😁 The preview was so fun!
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