Horror Book Reviews | Self-Publishing Review

Death Honk: Nine Tales of the Macabre by JP Mac

A dark and unpredictable collection of truly strange stories, Death Honk: Nine Tales of the Macabre by JP Mac is gritty and nerve-wracking, shifting from psychological terror to classic creepiness with ease.

From brief vignettes of paranormal scenes to longer stories that hit hard with shock value, there is no clear continuity in these tales aside from their grim and horrific style. “Mark of the Bruja” is one of the strongest stories, with visceral characters, a well-formed plot, and a unique cultural perspective on the supernatural that may be new to many readers. “Devil Reef” is another memorable piece, and […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2020-12-28T05:13:04+02:00December 26th, 2020|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Horror Book Reviews, Short Stories Book Reviews|

Review: Tryst by Aaron Eldritch

Youthful ghost stories become all too real in Tryst, the dark and well-penned new novel by Aaron Eldritch.

While the premise of a haunted house and dark spirits that follow intrepid explorers home is hardly new, there is something sinister and refreshing about this story of lost innocence and fragile fraternity. Heavy with symbolism and marked by an authentic narrative voice reflecting the protagonists’ youth, this is a spooky coming of age tale that is authentically scary.

Greg, Zeb, Aaron, and Derik are normal young boys, getting into trouble, scaring each other with stories, and navigating the difficult waters […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2020-08-18T02:12:12+02:00July 31st, 2020|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Horror Book Reviews, Paranormal Book Reviews|

Alpha (The Hierarchy Book 1) by I. Ogunbase

The world is divided between a decimated human race and roving bands of vampires in Alpha, the first book of the Hierarchy series by author I. Ogunbase.

In this hellscape of a near future, there are different breeds of vampires with different hungers and abilities – the Stalkers, the Mirrors, and the Ferals – immediately adding more complexity and originality to this crowded genre. As the seemingly mindless monsters grow more organized, representing a new challenge for walled-off defenders around the world, a key to humanity’s success is kidnapped, driving a crossbow-toting guard from the once-great city of London […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2020-05-29T09:22:57+02:00May 29th, 2020|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Horror Book Reviews, Vampires Book Reviews|

Review: Goat Song by Thomas Drago

Author Thomas Drago shines a sickly spotlight on the hellish secrets below Crow Creek, North Carolina in his fast-paced thriller, Goat Song. Blending small-town suspicions, the odd world of local theatre, personal demons, and black magic rituals, this quick read is unpredictable and unnerving as the plot spirals into darkness.

Gabriela Rossi is doing her best to make a home in Crow Creek after moving from Italy, but the residents don’t seem keen on outsiders, and her promotion at The Orpheum Theatre leaves her feeling resented and unwelcome. When someone is murdered at the theatre three days before a […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2020-04-21T07:00:05+02:00March 18th, 2020|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Horror Book Reviews, Paranormal Book Reviews|

Review: The Nosferatu Conspiracy: The Sleepwalker by Brian James Gage

Dripping in drama and a grim, sinister pall, The Nosferatu Conspiracy by Brian James Gage is a dark piece of fiction that defies categorization. While there are certain elements of historical fiction, gothic romance, horror, and suspense, the author plays with form and uses language as a paintbrush, poetically scribbling on the dungeon walls of this striking novel.

Much of the action centers on a fictional alternate reality at the end of the Romanov Dynasty in Russia, a mysterious piece of history that has compelled storytellers and historians for generations. A supernatural angle takes the forefront in this novel, in […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2022-03-07T09:40:11+02:00March 1st, 2020|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Historical Fantasy Book Reviews, Horror Book Reviews, Vampires Book Reviews|

House of the Shrieking Woman by Steven Ramirez

Author Steven Ramirez weaves a gripping tale of demons and dark forces in House of the Shrieking Woman. The second book in the Sarah Greene Mysteries sees the 33-year-old psychic delving back into the world of the supernatural, determined to use her ghostly gifts for the good of others.

This time around, Sarah must journey into one woman’s shadowy past to help her find peace from demons both inside and out. Pitting her nascent investigative skills against a sinister power that thrives in places of pain and suffering, the main character makes this quick thriller hard to put down. Sarah […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2020-01-21T07:49:34+02:00January 21st, 2020|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Horror Book Reviews, Paranormal Book Reviews|

Review: The Nawie by Alex J. Knudsen

From the twisted depths of memory comes The Nawie, a haunting psychological thriller by author Alex J. Knudsen that will make you keep the lights on.

When Marcelina Bajorek and her boyfriend take a trip back to Poland to reconnect with her family, she has no idea what horrors from the past she is about to unleash. As Marcelina is soon to learn, secrets aren’t the only monstrous things left behind in her childhood.

The opening of this novel sets a tragic tone, with a mysterious midnight terror in rural Poland envisioned through the five-year-old eyes of Marcelina, on […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2019-11-21T08:01:06+02:00October 23rd, 2019|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Horror Book Reviews, Thriller Book Reviews|

Review: Nevermore Squirrels by Terrance M. Craft

Dark humor with a decidedly animalistic twist makes for a provocative read in Nevermore Squirrels by Terrance M. Craft.

Aval and Evel are vampire squirrels who also happen to be married, with their marriage now dull and insufferable. They’ve degenerated into ordinary commoners, having forsaken their interest in bloodsucking for blood sipping.

Then there’s little Vincety, a small rag doll that can never grow, such that he can ever fulfill his wish to become an ultimate monster of gore. Evel, suffering from maternal qualms and unable to bear children of her own, decides to steal herself a little boy – […]

Marta Cheng2019-08-16T06:58:39+02:00July 3rd, 2019|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Horror Book Reviews, Vampires Book Reviews|