Book: Larry by Adam Millard

Back in the 70s Larry “Pigface” Travers was a prolific serial killer who went on several Friday The 13^th type summer camp killing sprees.

Move on 40 or so years and Larry is in his sixties and living with his eighty year old Mum..but the urges have come back.

Larry decides (against his Mother’s advice) to don his Pig mask one more time and pay a visit to this years inhabitants of the camp. Are his creaking old bones up to it?

Adam Millard has produced a serial killer comedy that works pretty well. Larry is hilarious as he huffs and puffs his way around attempting to terrorise some teenagers with names like Freddy, Jason and Myers.

Laughs spliced into horrific murders make for a gory but highly entertaining quick read and in the great tradition of cheesy horror films a sequel will be with us soon. You can’t keep a decrepit killer down!

Ric’s Rating: Good.    

Book: The Pack by Jason Starr

Simon Burns’ life changes dramatically when he unexpectedly loses his job. Gone are the office politics and deal making meetings. These are replaced with the responsibility of caring for his 3 year old son. With a marriage already on the rocks how will Burns adapt to his new role?

Relief from the stress comes when Simon meets a trio of full-time Dads at a local playground and the guys immediately welcome him into their company. Following a night out with the guys Simon wakes up in a very strange place and that’s just the beginning of his new experiences….

Ok, the guys are Werewolves, headed by the mysterious Michael but this isn't a typical stalk, slash and devour horror story. The guys all have their own problems to deal with, especially Michael, making this much more a human drama than a cheap gore-fest. There are also wonderful moments of toddler – related humour that any parent can relate to.

The Pack is an excellent horror / thriller / comedy and with a sequel already available I can’t wait to take another bite! Hoowwwlll !!

Ric’s Rating: Highly Recommended   

Book: Instinct by Ben Kay

When eminent entomologist Dr Laura Trent is approached by a secretive group known as MEROS she is intrigued by their proposal but unable to take the offer of employment.

Things change when her Son goes missing and MEROS reveal themselves as being responsible.

Dr Trent finds herself blackmailed into helping the shady organisation control their most fearsome project, genetically altered wasps.

The giant wasps are held in a remote laboratory in Venezuela but a new, and more aggressive, batch have killed a scientist and are threatening to escape.

Trent and the team, made up of soldiers and scientists, must keep the situation contained but the vicious insects are hungry and they want out.

I was looking forward to the wasps marauding through cities and towns but after the opening scene the flying killers are contained to the MEROS lab, where the entire novel takes place.

While attempting to escape the facility the team must pass through a long forgotten section known as the abdomen which was sealed off when the mutated insects got out of control.

This brings some much needed variety to proceedings as along with the wasps there is a plethora of other giant nasties for the humans to deal with.

The characters all have a full background story which helps the reader become engaged in their plight.

Instinct is an entertaining read and would work well on film but I so wanted the insects to get loose. Maybe we’ll get that in a sequel.

Ric’s Rating: Good.       

Book: Nikki's Secret by William Malmborg

The latest offering from William Malmborg (Jimmy, Text Message) tells the tale of Kimberly, a young woman who is subjected to a sustained campaign of harassment by the mysterious Nikki.

Help may be at hand in the form of Kimberly’s new neighbour, the reclusive and idiosyncratic Bill. Bill is a writer who has recently found some success but his past money-making ventures may have some part to play in the increasingly worrying situation which Kimberly finds herself in.

This story takes the reader on a journey into the mind of a delusional and sexually misguided individual who attempts to exact revenge on those believed responsible for their own depressing situation.

Nikki’s Secret isn’t up there with the brilliant Jimmy (see review elsewhere here) but it’s another entertaining read from a very promising author. The little pieces of black humour are perfectly placed amongst the tension and one particularly gory scene is lightened hugely by the skin-crawlingly funny description of the impractical nature of disposing of a body.

For more information visit www.williammalmborg.com and you can click on the tab below for my reviews of the author’s other books.

Ric’s Rating: Good.  

Book: Through The Eyes Of Strays by Glen Krisch

This latest collection of short stories from Glen R Krisch contains blasts of horror and sci-fi that will entertain fans of the newly revitalised format.

Highlights include:

Sudden Sanctuary – A young woman seeks out her internet boyfriend during a virus outbreak.

Filtheater – A vagrant with special powers makes a horrible discovery.

Gram Knows – The stand-out story finds young Bobby in receipt of a letter that asks for his help. He soon uncovers a tale of violence and abuse but the story isn’t as straightforward as it seems.

Winterlochen Academy – Trapped in an old Church a group of students & teachers attempt to fend off hungry wolves but little do they know that the wolves are not the most dangerous creatures trying to get in.

These are all great fun but there are one or two stories that don’t live up to the standard achieved by those mentioned above.

Overall this is a very interesting and entertaining collection which should be used as an introduction to an author with bags of potential.

Ric’s Rating: Good.     

Book: Mad Mannequins From Hell by August V Fahren

A down-on-his-luck special effects guy unwittingly summons the forces of Hell in this bizarre horror comedy adventure from August V Fahren.

Aided by a trio of fighting Nuns our hero must fight his way through outlandish characters such as a kung-fu baby Jesus, a midget wrestler and of course, the mannequins.

This book is like a wild episode of Creepshow, The Twilight Zone and tales from The Crypt. Throw in a bit of Fright Night with Peter Vincent and you get the idea.

I almost abandoned this one after a particularly vile opening chapter which described an appalling act of animal cruelty. This is quickly explained away as a hoax but a bitter taste did remain.

The rest of the book is a bizarre but occasionally compelling read that requires much imagination on the part of the reader.

Unusual and at times inspired but ultimately just too off-the-wall for me.

Ric’s Rating: Dodgy

Book: Dead Tropics by Sue Edge

It’s zombie time again and this time we follow a feisty female nurse as she attempts to protect friends & family from the horde.

Sue Edge’s debut horror story kicks off with a fantastic opening scene. Virus victims arrive in an Australian hospital but the staff fail to take the necessary precautions and all hell breaks loose with many falling prey to the hungry undead.

What follows is a relentless battle for survival and the leading character, Lori, delivers a female action hero performance to rival that of Linda Hamilton and Sigourney Weaver at their best. However, her best efforts may not be enough to protect her group from a threat even bigger than the one posed by the walking corpses.

Amidst the violence and bloodshed there are plenty of emotional scenes. How does Lori react when her daughter is bitten or when she is confronted by the zombie versions of her friend’s parents?

This is all good fun and the author manages to retain the tension throughout but the rapid transition from nurse to killing machine does push the boundaries of one’s imagination and the battles with zombies do become repetitive, with the exception of the river scenes (complete with dead eyes peering through the water) which are something new and exciting. There are also some nice moments of everyday humour amongst the carnage but the blossoming romance felt a tad out of place.

Dead Tropics is available now from Permuted Press.

Ric’s Rating: Good   

Book: The Killing Floor by Craig Dilouie

The remaining characters from Craig DiLouie’s The Infection (see review elsewhere here) continue their struggle for survival in this zombie monster-mash adventure.

I slowly became re-acquainted with Anne, the tormented leader of the group as well as Todd, a young man who has had to grow up fast. New characters are also introduced and bring their own issues to the story.

This sequel really kicks off when Camp Defiance, the refuge valiantly defended in the previous novel, falls foul of infection. Following this incident Ray (a survivor of infection) soon realises he can communicate with the infected, not only with the humans, but also the hideous creatures born of the virus.

The others decide that Ray either has to be eliminated before he causes any further catastrophe or be captured as he surely holds the key to any potential cure.

Each characters hazardous journey continues separately before we come to the final bloody confrontation where true motives emerge and loyalties are decided.

The Infection was a fantastic zombie novel and while this doesn’t quite reach the same emotional level it’s a more than adequate continuation of a story that doesn’t rely on blood and gore. By concentrating on the inner torment faced by those involved DiLouie has created a series that should appeal beyond the preconceived notions of the genre.

The Killing Floor is available in ebook and trade paperback from Permuted Press.

Ric’s Rating: Highly Recommended.       

Book: Scraping The Bone by William Malmborg

The author of Jimmy and Text Message (see reviews elsewhere here) brings us this short story collection comprising of ten disturbing tales.

Highlights include:

Redstone Lake – A couple visit a remote cabin and long forgotten memories re-emerge.

Rest Stop – A woman escaping her abusive husband takes a well earned break. Can things get any worse? You bet they can.

The Other Side – The perils of internet dating, with a twist

The Bone Yard – Just what is that dog digging up?

Electronic reading devices have given new life to the short story and with collections like this available it’s easy to see why they are finding a market. They make ideal lunch time or commute reading, only trouble is 

sometimes they are just too short.

Malmborg is one of the gutsiest writers around and he’s fast becoming one of my favourite authors.

Head over to www.williammalmborg.com for more information on his work and lots of other cool stuff.

Ric’s Rating: Highly Recommended.    

Book: The Failed by Jim Bronyaur

Dr Romen believes he has found the cure to all diseases with his new wonder drug. The D8-C10 virus works by regenerating dead cells consequently curing the patient. Unfortunately everyone who tries the drug dies from the effects……then it begins to work.

The dead come back to life and they are mere shadows of the people they once were. Consumed by the D8-C10 they become the shuffling husks we all know as zombies.

Following the explanation of the outbreak this book quickly becomes a tale of human endeavour amidst the surrounding carnage.

A frightened young girl attempts to convince her parents of the “monsters” outside.
A long haul trucker and his dog hear strange noises coming from their load and two quarrelling pilots begin to suspect their cargo isn’t what it seems.

This is an exciting fight for survival as we follow the characters through various hazardous situations until the remaining few meet up and decide to face the horde in a heroic last-stand battle.

The Failed is a quick easy read that will please fans of the genre but also contains enough emotion and excitement to reach beyond horror. If you like your fiction to be simultaneously fast paced, touching and terrifying then give it a try.

Ric’s Rating: Highly Recommended

Book: Text Message by William Malmborg

A Christmas shopping trip becomes a terrifying ordeal for sisters Mallory and Jenna in the new thriller from the author of Jimmy (see review elsewhere here).

While Mallory browses in a lingerie shop she sends her sister elsewhere and soon receives an ominous text message stating simply “I have your sister”.

The perpetrator then begins setting Mallory tasks and in order to spare Jenna from suffering she must complete each one, no matter how dangerous or degrading. A security guard, Dan, offers his help. But can he be trusted?

Enter the villain of the piece, Mr Campbell and we soon learn that he has become a predator due to some horrific incidents in his past.

This fast-paced tale takes place over the course of a single day in which the shopping mall has to close early due to adverse weather leaving the girls alone with the seriously unhinged Campbell.

The book will please fans of films like Saw and anyone who enjoys “horror” without silly monsters or anything supernatural going on.

Text Message is a heart-stopping and often disturbing thriller that remains easy to read but is not for the faint of heart.

For more information on the author and his other projects visit www.williammalmborg.com

Ric’s Rating: 74%

Top Books Read in 2011

2011 will go down as the year I embraced reading e-books. The format has helped open my eyes to new authors, short stories and has made me willing to take risks with my reading, some of which paid off big time.

Traditional printed books did not go away, on the contrary I actually welcomed the feel of them after reading e-books so overall I had a brilliant reading experience in 2011.

Here are some of the highlights in no particular order. Each book is reviewed in full elsewhere here and I've included a quote from it to give you a brief taster.

Murder In Silence by Gary Kassay
“stunning debut thriller........harrowing.....the best self-published book I’ve read”

Sinema by Rod Glenn
“This is a hardcore serial killer thriller that won’t appeal to those used to cosy whodunits”

Jimmy by William Malmborg
“ captivating journey through the mind of a young man who crosses the line and brings his darkest fantasies to life”

Black Flowers by Steve Mosby
“Neil Dawson investigates the apparent suicide of his Father in the latest disturbing tale from Steve Mosby”

Creep by Jennifer Hillier
“Fatal Attraction meets Misery.......in a sexually charged story”

11.59 by David Williams
“Full of seedy goings-on and laced with dark humour it had me looking forward to resuming the story every time”

Ask The Dice by Ed Lynskey
“very engaging and the explosive finale provides a final round knockout”

Winds Of Change by Jason Brannon
“simultaneously terrifying and intriguing”

The Sacrificial Man by Ruth Dugdall
“Dugdall proves to be a smart new voice in the crime fiction genre”

The Infection by Craig Dilouie
“everything The Walking Dead aspires to be....all the best elements of a zombie story in one place”

Blitz by Ken Bruen
“Highly recommended for fans of violent, fast paced crime stories”

Memory Leak by Trevor Schmidt
“an action thriller told at a blistering pace that reminded me of one of my favourite films, Total Recall”

Book: Quarantined by Joe McKinney

Detective Lily Harris must solve a murder amidst the chaos of the city of San Antonio, which has been quarantined due to a deadly flu epidemic, in this thriller from Joe McKinney.

The corpses pile up day after day but amongst them is the body of an eminent Doctor who shows no signs of the virus.

Harris and her partner Chunk must work the case while avoiding all the hazards the infected city has to throw at them.
As her frustration mounts Harris then takes the mighty gamble of deciding to go along with her husband’s plan to escape the city.

There is great set up work here as the reader is immediately thrown into a horrific environment in which the cops struggle to continue to do their job. As well as looters and angry residents, they face corruption at every turn.

The family side of the story is very emotional as ordinary parents attempt to do their best while civilization breaks down around them. Unfortunately the murder case lacks impact, it doesn’t introduce any interesting characters and the whole thing comes to a rather anti-climactic end.

Ric’s rating: 59%

Book: The Misunderstood and other Misfit Horrors by Jason Brannon

This short story collection from the author of Winds Of Change (see review elsewhere here) consists of nine eerie tales featuring an eclectic cast of characters.

There is an Angel after offerings of blood, an eccentric collector of clocks, babies that can predict the future and creepy scarecrows that may not be what they seem.

We start of with the nightmarish Beware The Death Angel in which town newcomers prepare for a sinister local tradition. The stories then vary in content and length ending with the fantastic The Misunderstood in which a farmer attempts to protect his land from a supernatural beast.

This is the first time I’ve read a short story collection but it’s something I’ve been meaning to try for a while and this is the right place to start for anyone partial to some short sharp doses of horror. Each one is highly entertaining and the whole collection creates a cool otherworldly feeling that I’d have been happy to wallow in for a bit longer as a couple of the tales felt a little too short. Many could have been expanded and perhaps that’s something the author will consider. Failing that I’d be more than happy with another volume to add to this collection of wonderfully dark misfits.

Ric’s Rating: 74%

Book: Black Flowers by Steve Mosby

Neil Dawson investigates the apparent suicide of his Father in the latest disturbing tale from Steve Mosby.

Dawson’s Father was a novelist and during his research came across a book entitled The Black Flower which was based on (fictional) real-life crimes from the 1970’s. As Neil investigates further he uncovers a string of mysterious deaths surrounding the book and when the despicable character from within its pages materializes he is offered a horrendous deal, the life of his partner and unborn child in exchange for finding the killer’s long-lost daughter.

The story moves along nicely and the book within a book style that it’s told in works surprisingly well with fiction and reality gradually merging, although at times it can be difficult to keep up with the “fictional” and “real-life” versions of the same characters.

Mosby has once again managed to take a deliciously dark surreal story and make it terrifyingly relevant and real, and despite the end being a tad predictable this is still a beautifully woven tapestry of sinister crime fiction.

Ric’s Rating: 82%

Book: Winds Of Change by Jason Brannon

In this novella Jason Brannon brings us an apocalyptic vision that is simultaneously terrifying and intriguing.

Shortly after witnessing a falling star a group of strangers find themselves trapped in a hardware store. Stepping outside means instant death as everyone who ventures out disintegrates into a pillar of salt.

The group contemplate the reasons for the nightmarish scenario they find themselves in and as theories come and go personal differences emerge.

This moves at a relentless pace and demands that you keep reading so it’s all over pretty quickly. It feels like a refreshing slap in the face compared to some of the laborious horror novels I have endured.

Brannon is one to look out for, I will definitely be checking out more of his work.

Ric’s Rating: 82%

Book: The Infection by Craig Dilouie

Craig Dilouie, author of Tooth And Nail (see review elsewhere here) returns to the Zombie genre with his latest novel.

The infection itself begins on a day just like any other and we see it from the viewpoint of schoolteacher Ethan, as his pupils randomly drop down screaming when the mysterious virus strikes. Three days later everyone felled by the initial wave wakes up and all hell breaks loose.

The book follows a motley crew of survivors in their attempts to find sanctuary while fending off attacks from the infected. While finding some respite in a derelict hospital they make an alarming discovery, hideous alien-like creatures born of the infection.

There are huge similarities between this and the author’s first book but the characters on show here are much more developed making the reader sympathetic to their plight. Each characters individual experiences are told in a series of well placed flashbacks that provide much needed emotion amongst the battles for survival. There is also an interesting turn of events when the group eventually reach the camp they have been searching for. Is it the safe haven they crave?

Fans of the genre will love this, it’s everything the recent tv show The Walking Dead (see review elsewhere here) aspires to be. Throw in a couple of Resident Evil type monsters and the heart of 28 Days Later and you have all the best elements of a Zombie story in one place.

It has bags of movie and sequel potential so hopefully it’s not the last we’ve heard from the excellent characters that are brought vividly to life amongst the most trying of circumstances.

Ric’s Rating: 92%

Book: Mr Shivers by Robert Jackson Bennett

Robert Jackson Bennett’s debut novel follows the cross country journey of Marcus Connelly as he attempts to track down the man who murdered his daughter, the hideous Mr Shivers.

Set during America’s great depression this is a sprawling, dusty, atmospheric tale of an epic quest littered with odd characters. It’s a thriller, ghost story, serial killer, horror story of revenge that evokes memories of the fantastic tv shows Carnivale and American Gothic.

In parts it’s fantastic, the strange characters involved include a fortune teller with a diseased eye, a 100 year old sheriff and an entire town that’s in league with Mr Shivers.

The momentum is spoiled by dull periods between encounters and the end is somewhat of an anti-climax although all things considered this is a unique book that’s well worth a look for both crime and horror fans.

Ric's Rating: 74%

Book: Thor by Wayne Smith

Forget the Norse God of Thunder with the upcoming blockbuster movie, this is……

The supershock novel of Dog versus …….Werewolf !

This book is much more than the above tagline suggests. It’s more of a study of the relationship between Dog and Man than a horror, told entirely from the Dog’s perspective.

Some years ago I saw a so – so horror film called Bad Moon and I was so intrigued by the concept of a family Dog protecting his “pack” from a supernatural Beast that I made a point of seeking out the book it was based on, it is quite rare. I wasn’t disappointed.

Thor is a German Shepherd, a natural guard dog, but he is usually a gentle giant who takes great pleasure from the love and fun that his family provide.

However, when Uncle Ted comes to stay all of Thor’s natural instincts tell him that something is amiss and he must use all of his guile to protect the family from the threat that only he knows is coming.

Thor is a fantastic leading character, a true Hero who acts through love, loyalty and devotion, even in the most trying of circumstances.

Being a dog owner myself I recognise many of the characteristics displayed and Wayne Smith explains these and the Dog’s thought processes in a charming eloquent way that will appeal to anyone who has ever owned or had a close relationship with Man’s Best Friend.

The human characters are great too. The parents who struggle to rationalize their beloved dog’s behaviour. The kids, especially Brett, who is the only one that realises what is going on are excellent too and we have the conflicted Uncle Ted who is well aware of what he has become.

This is riveting stuff and if only it had one or two more action scenes it might have achieved a perfect score but that’s a trifling complaint because this is a remarkable and moving book that will live long in the memory of anyone lucky enough to read it.

Unfortunately Wayne Smith seems to have dropped off the radar, a pity.

Ric's Rating: 95%

Book: Tooth And Nail by Craig Dilouie

The Hong Kong Lyssa virus could end the world as we know it as the
severely infected become "Mad Dogs", Zombies basically.

An atmosphere of dread is quickly created as stark images of a virus ravaged New York City emerge. Streets littered with unmoving cars, the infected roaming the streets among famous landmarks and civilians trying to survive.

The book boils down to a series of battles between a Platoon of soldiers (who question orders to shoot American citizens) and the Mad Dogs with a mission to rescue a scientist on the brink of a cure thrown in.

The action scenes are fantastic as the Grunts fight off the infected masses but there are so many soldiers in the story it's hard to become attached to any of them, except in the end when honour is paramount.

Dr Petrova steals the show as she fights her own battles while awaiting rescue, there is a depth to her character missing from the guys and you really want her to make it. But will she?

Recommended for Zombie and action horror fans.

Ric's Rating: 61%