The Deep by Nick Cutter

Reading The Deep by Nick Cutter has cemented Cutter as my favorite, go-to horror author. This was so deeply unsettling and full of tension, it literally had me hiding in my hair at work and jumping when coworkers snuck up on me or the phone rang. There are so many different phases to the horror which is what made this so amazing. Each strand was carefully woven into the other so every sense was bombarded until you’re frozen in dread.

Devils Kill Devils by Johnny Compton

Devils Kill Devils by Johnny Compton was one of the horror books I was most looking forward to this year. I thought this would be spooky, heavy, horrorful. Instead, I was left disappointed and bored. I wonder if this might just be because publishers and book vendors tend to lump everything as a horror, especially as we get closer to Halloween because this didn’t feel like a horror. This felt more like a paranormal gothic thriller. Or maybe horror light.

The Twisted Ones by T Kingfisher

The first book by T Kingfisher I ever read, I absolutely loved and I feel like I’ve been trying to chase that good book high ever since. That is what led me to picking up The Twisted Ones by T Kingfisher, despite having been disappointed by her in my last read. After this one, I’m really not sure if I’ll be as excited to dive back into her work. This fell flat, held no tension, and was incredibly predictable.

Tender is the Flesh by Agustina Bazterrica

I’d seen mutuals that picked up and lost their minds over Tender is the Flesh by Agustina Bazterrica. As it was listed as horror, I figured it was time to pick this up and give it a go for this spooky October. I honestly have to say, this wasn’t so much a horror than it […]

Black Sheep by Rachel Harrison

I definitely recommend reading Black Sheep by Rachel Harrison. There is a horror here that begins in the normalcy of the circumstances and just how easy it would be to find yourself in that situation. That’s where the horror lay for me – in how easy it is to fall victim to the seemingly benign cruelty of family and faith.

Hemlock Island by Kelley Armstrong

I wasn’t sure what to expect when I picked up Hemlock Island by Kelley Armstrong. The title was intriguing, the cover eerie, and the synopsis enticing. What I thought would be a strong horror, turned out to be something much more subtle as we follow the complexities of small town families and friendships that can […]

The Croning by Laird Barron

I had heard some pretty good things about The Croning by Laird Barron and with such an intriguing cover, I thought okay, let’s give this a shot. I needed something to listen to at work and I liked the narrator’s voice. Turns out, I should’ve dug a little deeper because this was absolutely the most boring and pointless ‘horror’ novel I’ve read in ages.

The Handyman Method by Nick Cutter and Andrew F Sullivan

I really enjoyed The Handyman Method by Nick Cutter and Andrew F Sullivan. Yes, the social commentary is heavy but so is the gore and horror imagery. I think everything meshes so well that eventually the knowledge that this is commentary fades to the background and all you can focus on is how everything is so incredibly wrong all the time. If you like horror, are okay with gory animal and body descriptions, I think this is definitely something worth picking up. I did listen to this as an audiobook which I really enjoyed and I think made the experience so much more visceral.

American Midnight: Tales of the Dark

American Midnight is a collection of American gothic horror short stories curated by Laird Hunt. Most of the short stories ranged from interesting to good with only a few falling short.

The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones

I had seen the cover of The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones around for a while as friends and mutuals added the book to their TBRs. Each time I’d come across it, I’d think wow, I really should pick that up. It’s an absolute shame I didn’t pick it up until three years […]