Nick Cato's Blog, page 44

A Mission of Somewhat Questionable Legality*

THE FULLER MEMORANDUM by Charles Stross (2010 Ace / 310 pp. / hc)

Stross' third Laundry novel takes a little bit to get going, but once it does it begins to deliver on a grand scale.

For newbies: The Laundry is a top secret British paranormal secret service unit. Bob Howard is under its employ as a computational demonologist . . . sort-of like a nerdy occult-savy James Bond. Along with his supernatural-violin-playing wife, Mo, Howard returns this time to what seems like an easy task: getting ...

Nursing Home Blues

THE NURSING HOME by James J. Murphy III (to be released September, 2010 by L & J Publishing / 360 pp. / tp)

I receive countless self-published novels to review, and I always give each one a fair shot. 98% of the time I don't review them due to the typical downfalls of a self published book: poor editing, bad writing, no plot, no pace, a badly needed additional proof read/re-write, etc. Then there's that 2% that surprises me and I have no problem giving them the praise they deserve.

While a sl...

FINALLY . . . Helman Returns

DESPERATE SOULS by Gregory Lamberson (to be released 10/10 by Medallion Press / 262 pp. / tp)
It's been six long years since the first installment of Lamberson's "Jake Helman Files," and I'm happy to report the wait for his return was well worth it. If you haven't read PERSONAL DEMONS (which was re-released as an affordable trade paperback in 2009, also from Medallion) you might want to before digging into DESPERATE SOULS (while not entirely necessary, there are a few "spoilers" in Jake's...

New Story to be Unleashed...

...in the LIBRARY OF HORROR's first BIZARRO HORROR ANTHOLOGY. Check out this fine line up:

SIDE A
NEON GUTTER MEAT- Jordan Krall
Consumer's Paradise- Patrick D'Orazio
The Claws That Catch- P.D. Hansen
Fowlness- Stephanie Kincad
Another Double Helix Day in Taillertown-Ben McElroy
New Age-Rick Coonrod
Peni- Mari Mitchell
Real Love Burns-Jonathan Moon

SIDE B
Hit and Fun- Garrett Cook
Guy WHo Got a Headache- Matt Nord
All Due Stories in Good Time- Timothy W. Long
The Aircrash Bureau (or, How Johnny Carson...

Bacon isn't the ONLY Thing Canada Does Wrong!

After her boss Jack commits suicide, Virginia inherits his antique shop. Paul (a successful journalist) begins to investigate Jack's suicide, he being a close friend to both the deceased and Virginia.

Strange things begin to happen when Paul comes home from work and gives his cat a bowl of milk; the cat dies, apparently the victim of poisoning. A local animal shelter comes by to collect the cat's corpse and perform an autopsy, but when Paul heads down to the shelter for the results, they ass...

WHY you Should be Reading the Dark Horse Comics CONAN series

Having been a CONAN fan since the mid 70s, I've been enjoying the latest Dark Horse Comics series, CONAN THE CIMMERIAN. The latest issue (#22) begins a new 4-part adaptation of Robert E. Howard's IRON SHADOWS IN THE MOON, and dare I say this is as good and perhaps better (art and writing-wise) as anything Marvel Comics has ever produced.

This series has featured several issues where the artwork is shared, and this time Paul Lee's dark renderings of the ancient-city back-story on the opening 6...

Who Will Save the Puppies?

FAMILY BUSINESS by Brett Williams (2010 lulu.com / 290 pp. / tp)
Erika's hubby Steven doesn't want children (not yet, anyway). But Erika, used to getting what she wants, decides she's at least going to get herself a puppy—and when she fails to find the kind she wants at local pet stores and shelters, she manages to locate a place in the classified ads. She takes a ride to some backwoods pet trader and—guess what?—becomes the captive to a WRONG TURN-type of family (a demented redneck and his...

Get DON (and many other titles) for under 3 Bucks!

Coscom Entertainment, publishers of my debut novel, DON OF THE DEAD, are having a MEGA-sale on their kindle titles. If you're an e-reader and have been wanting to check out my novel, now's the perfect time. Check out some of their other sales at this link, too:

http://coscomentertainment.blogspot.com/2010/07/zombie-werewolf-vampire-mashup-and.html

Anarchy in the UK

In the bottomless pit of zombie films, this one is a big step above the rest. Despite its Blair Witch/Cannibal Holocaust hand-held filming/documentary style, it held my interest. By keeping the story centered around the survivors, we actually care for them instead of wishing them to be zombie food. More zombie films should take a lesson here that the FX should be second to the story (and as a bonus the FX are quite well done).

While I can't agree that this is "The Best Zombie Film...

Kill or be Killed

THE KILLING KIND by Bryan Smith (2010 Leisure Books / 321 pp. / mmp)

For those who thought Smith's last offering (DEPRAVED) was intense, wait till you get about a quarter of the way through his latest extreme horror tale. THE KILLING KIND is basically an ultra violent road story told in a nihilistic glee that at times had me doubting the author's sanity.

Some poor guy named Rob is car-jacked by a gorgeous goth-looking girl named Roxie. With a gun aimed at his head, she basically tells him he'...