Steve Stred's Blog, page 82

Book Review: Clownflesh by Tim Curran

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Title: Clownflesh

Author: Tim Curran

Release date: May 31, 2019

 

At the end of 2019, Pete from Bloodshot Books sent me a list of 6 or 7 books he was wondering if I was interested in reviewing. Truthfully, I didn’t even read their synopsis’. Pete releases such high quality stuff and Bloodshot Books has always been super kind to me and thinking of me for possible reviews, so I took them all. After reading ‘Clownflesh’ I have one left from that batch!

I’d not read Tim Curran before, but he was always an author that people would recommend I check out. I do remember seeing the cover for this when it was announced and even back then it really didn’t strike me as one I thought was ‘yah’ or ‘meh.’

Having now read the book, the cover fits the story perfectly.

What I liked: This is a book that will either absolutely work for you or you’ll hate it from the get go. You’ll know within the first few chapters. How will you know? Well, the synopsis is this: Craw Falls, South Dakota gets slammed by a snow storm. As night descends murderous clowns sprout from the shadows and darkness to kill everyone as viciously as possible. That really is it. So, just how will you know if this will work for you? When you start reading this and you get to the first moment where a person realizes the thing stalking them and is about to murder them is a clown, you’ll either be scared out of your shell or you’ll start laughing. If you are scared, the rest of the book is such an amazing full-throttle, rock ’em sock’em thrill ride that you’re in for a treat. If you laugh… the rest of the book is going to come off lame and you just won’t enjoy it like you would if Curran was creeping you the hell out.

I loved how this book unfolded. I was extremely unnerved from page one. Something about a jingling sound in the distance, the wind carrying a stench, something moving and coming closer to a lone person in the snow – exhilarating. And Tim does it over and over and over again.

What I didn’t like: As much as I loved this story, it isn’t without some minor faults. Firstly, we get introduced to a man specifically in town to kill the clowns. Clegg is then locked up and for the majority of the book he remains in his cell, until finally released near the end. I felt a bit let down at the carnage he could’ve unleashed had he been re-introduced a bit earlier. Secondly, there really is no back story or ‘reason’ behind why the clowns have arrived. I was expecting a glorious mythology about them, but nothing.

Why you should buy it: Well, did you read the synopsis? I mean, killer clowns? If that at all interests you then this is a must buy! Otherwise, this features some truly cringe-worthy moments, some amazingly graphic deaths and Curran never lets up, not even at the explosive finale. I’m glad I didn’t pass on this one now. What a fun ride.

4/5

Book Review: The Ballad of Black Tom by Victor LaValle

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Title: The Ballad of Black Tom

Author: Victor LaValle

Release date: February 16, 2016

“For H.P. Lovecraft, with all my conflicted feelings.”

I got this ebook a while back, when Tor had it as a free ebook of the month. I added it to my long list of books on my TBR and it slowly made its way up the list as I made my way through them.

I think I’ve done a decent job of reading diversely. I know for a fact I read A LOT of Women Horror authors, that has always been something I strive to do. But POC authors? Probably not good enough.

I will readily and unashamedly admit, I bumped this from 15th on my TBR list (yes, I have my books ordered and numbered!) to start reading this after the horrific and world changing events of George Floyd. As the Horror community rallied around our fellow POC authors and people shared photos and stacks of books to read by them (myself included) I knew I needed to do more than just share a photo.

‘The Ballad of Black Tom’ accomplishes a rare feat. We in the Horror world know just how horrible of a person HP Lovecraft was. There is a big disconnect between the mythos he created and the human he was. I remember reading some Lovecraft growing up and rereading some recently, and while I enjoy his worlds, I hate his writing. I struggle to get into it and I drop interest quickly.

Thankfully, there are a number of authors who write within that mythos incredibly well and whose writing I enjoy! So, I can get my weird gods fix and enjoy those books.

Victor LaValle, from what I’ve read online, grew up reading Lovecraft, but as a person of color, when he discovered Lovecraft’s views, he was conflicted. Like many people, he looked past the views and focused on the writing.

But then at some point, LaValle decided to take back some of Lovecraft’s mythos and make it his own, and much like the epigraph that starts this book (which I shared at the top) LaValle dove in.

What I liked: ‘The Ballad of Black Tom’ starts off by following Tommy Tester, a black man in New York at the start of the 19th Century. He is chosen by a rich man to come perform at his mansion and from there the reader gets introduced to some of the great Old Ones.

I’ve seen a few reviews state this and I’ll echo it – LaValle does Lovecraft better than Lovecraft ever did. There are some scenes in here that are completely unnerving and will creep you right out. The character of Ma Att is one such entity that will grab you and make you want to shower after you read a few of her moments.

The second part of the book follows Malone, a detective. This worked really well to see the subtle nods between the first and second half of the book, but also to understand the glamour or shimmer that the Secret Alphabet has placed on those outside of the inner circle.

What I didn’t like: While LaValle does Lovecraft amazingly, I personally wished there was just a bit more creatures featured. We get some great descriptions, but I wanted to see so much more!

Why you should buy it: LaValle writes with such efficient prose that this book hummed along. The characters and events are engaging and the use of the Old Ones was perfect. This would have been an easy one-sitting read if I didn’t have 6 other books on the go! Saying all of that, now is a time for us to support and read more diverse authors and LaValle is one of the masters of the genre. I have ‘The Changeling” from his as well, which I will be pushing up my TBR asap.

This was a stunning piece and I loved every second of it.

5/5

 

Book Review: The Midwives by Duncan Ralston

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Title: The Midwives

Author: Duncan Ralston

Release date: February 24th, 2020

 

Duncan Ralston is a name many horror readers are familiar wife, and most have read a few of his releases by now. In 2019, Ralston up the game with promotional pushes for his stellar release ‘Ghostland.’ A follow up to that book, which landed on many “Best Of” lists and has already been announced that a sequel is in the works would be daunting on the best of days. But Ralston dove into it head first and eagerly shared the cover from esteemed artist Francois Vaillancourt.

Once that image hit the horror community the excitement level began to increase.

What I liked: The story follows one Marty Savage, true-crime writer extraordinaire. He had a string of hits, but his best know work was ‘Witch Hunter,’ which was an embellished version of serial killer Barclay. When Barclay escapes and begins killing his way towards Savage, wanting revenge, Savage and his friend Sheila, who was a psychiatrist on the case flee to the remote town of Barrows Bay – where Savage grew up.

Duncan did a fantastic job of diving into the deep end immediately. We get to see that Savage is a bit of a scumbag, preying on easy female targets at book signings and living a bachelor life of debauchery. We get to see his character go through a transformation story arc throughout and it was satisfying to watch that happen. Sheila is a strong female character, many times the reality grounder to Marty’s sarcastic laissez-faire attitude.

The midwives of Barrows Bay made for a great group to create the necessary “good versus evil” set up that a folk thriller like this needed and I loved the back story that Ralston sprinkled throughout.

The ending was done really well and there were several things left a bit open for the possibility of a sequel. I would love to read more, especially seeing how we never really get any conclusion with a discovery on the beach or with the main detective.

Lastly, Barrows Bay itself worked as a very engaging character. While technically the setting, a place such as this has its own pulse, its own rhythm and Duncan made sure to amplify that when needed and make it undulate to shift the story as warranted.

What I didn’t like: A story like this, with a larger ensemble cast of secondary characters can sometimes create issues with remembering who is who. Ralston didn’t have that issue, instead making sure each moving piece had a purpose for being there. Saying that, the main reason for Savage and Sheila for going to Barrows Bay, Barclay, at one point almost became an afterthought and I found it was a long stretch before he re-entered the fray. I would’ve love just a touch more of his own journey to track down the duo, but I do understand the necessary space filled with Barrows Bay happenings.

Why you should buy it: Ralston is not only one of the best writers in the horror genre, creating lush landscapes layered with depth and gore, but he’s also one of the nicest guys in the field and one of the most supportive. ‘The Midwives’ is a horrific book and if you are wanting a dark read where things get revealed over time while you still are dealing with what just happened, then look no further.

As I mentioned at the beginning – a follow up to a book like ‘Ghostland’ can be tough, but Duncan stepped up to the plate and knocked it out of the park.

5/5

That’s a wrap.

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Here we are.

I can’t believe the month is over. It’s actually gut wrenching for me.

Look, you may sit on the other side and say “so what dude, it’s over.” But for me, this was so much more. This was a guy from a town of less than 100 people discovering an author and actually connecting with that author. This was a guy who decided to show the world why he loves these books so much, in the hopes that others discover them as well. Hell, this was a guy who actually has interviewed his favorite author THREE times now. Who has all of his books signed and personalized.

It’s a feeling I really can’t explain in words, even though, for some of you out there, you read my own writing and believe I’m half decent.

For those who are reading this. Just know, that every single time Andrew Pyper has liked any of my posts, shared them or commented on them, it’s a dream come true. That may sound insanely overboard, but when I first spotted ‘The Demonologist’ all those years ago, I never once believed that it would grow to the ability to celebrate Andrew’s work this much.

So, I’m going to stop gushing. Or will try.

May has come and gone. In a very trying time in this world. Books have always been a salvation for mankind when strife hits. I hope you have an author who fills that spot in your readers soul, like Andrew does mine.

What did we do together this month? I managed to cobble together a retrospective on each of Andrew’s releases. Posted reviews of all but two, simply because it has been far too long since I’d read them. Had a fantastic guest review from my friend Jennifer Sullivan. Not one, but two interviews! Two!

And, as you’ve probably seen by now – an amazing contest, where Andrew will sign and personalize a copy of ‘The Demonologist’ to one lucky winner.

I’ll be creating a heading on my menu here on the site, so that all of the retrospectives, interviews and reviews will be easily find-able.

As I wrap this up, the inevitable question of what’s next rears its head. Three things are in the pipeline.

I plan on doing a celebration of J.H. Moncrieff. Her writing is stunning and she’s agreed to tackle an interview. So watch for that.
I also plan on doing a celebration of Duncan Ralston. He is also an amazing writing and he’s agreed to have me give him the gears as well.
What about next May? Well, I definitely can tell you that I’ll want to celebrate Andrew’s work again next year. If he’s willing (hint!) maybe we can see about doing another interview or an AMA or something. We got a year, I’ll get it sorted.

Lastly – I’ve had a few people message to ask about the order of my love of Pyper’s books. That’s a tough one, because I love them all. But for those curious, here is how I would order them from absolute fav to fav!

The Killing Circle
The Guardians
The Homecoming
The Only Child
The Wildfire Season
The Residence
The Demonologist
Lost Girls
The Damned
The Trade Mission

I won’t include the ‘Kiss Me’ collection, purely because of it being a very different focus, but I loved it as well.

To all those who have read, shared, liked and commented – thank you.

To Andrew – thank you.

To Andrew’s books – you’ll never know just how vital a part of my life you’ve been. Thank you for always being there when I needed you.

Until we meet again,

Steve

Book Review: The Killing Circle by Andrew Pyper

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Title: The Killing Circle

Author: Andrew Pyper

Release Date: January 1st, 2008

 

“People used to live in every empty house you’ve ever stood in, and this makes them no less empty.”

You can all call me a friggin’ fool. Permission granted.

At a point not too long ago, I only had ‘The Guardians’ and ‘The Killing Circle’ left to read by Andrew and I kept putting them off. Why? Because I was worried about possibly not liking them. I KNOW!

Know having finished them both, I deserve a smack to the head, as those two may very well be the two best books Pyper has written.

‘The Killing Circle’ is one of the most claustrophobic, terrifying and down-right exhaustive books I’ve ever read. As in, you’ll hold your breath the entire time reading it, you’ll flip each page desperately wanting to know what’s going to happen but scared to death about what just may arrive.

‘The Killing Circle’ was an emotional roller-coaster for me, both with the words written on the pages, but also because this represents the final frontier. The last unread book by my favorite author. And while this review is being featured on the second to last day of my PYPER-MAY-NIA, May long celebration of my love for Andrew’s works, if you’ve read his interview that I featured on May 1st, you’ll know that we most likely won’t be seeing anything new from Andrew until probably 2022. I’ll pause so we can all go dab our eyes.

What I liked: Pyper writes like only he can. Every single sentence is lush, glorious and serves a purpose. In ‘The Killing Circle’ we are introduced to Patrick Rush, dad to Sam, widower to Tamara, who is fatigued with his job and decides to try his hand at writing a book. He joins a writing circle, looking for a creative spark, and while there, inadvertently ends up a creek with no paddles.

What Pyper does from here is sheer madness. We get to live and breathe what Rush goes through, what he sees and experiences and as I mentioned in the intro – it’s horrifically stunning. The essence though, for me at least, was the life that Pyper infused into a character that at first you take for granted; the setting. The city. Toronto. Andrew lives where this is set and wow, does he make it a sparkling, gnarly aspect to every single thing that happens, every single minute detail described with minimal details but maximal effect. In all of Andrew’s releases, the setting plays a vital role, to the point where Iconsider him to be the best out there for this. Nothing is pushed aside or skimmed over, Pyper makes sure to gives us the smells, the feels, the experience.

‘A father and son used to live here.’

The book opens with an absolute bang, and when we circle around to catch up to those moments near the ending, you’ll be so far drawn into the madness that the ending completely caught me off guard. I was reading this in our car, in the garage, as my son at fallen asleep. When ‘the end’ arrived, I was bawling. The floodgates had opened and I had to turn around and look at him, just to ground myself in the real world.

What I didn’t like: Oh yeah, this part of my reviews. I typically work hard to find something I don’t like in my 5 star reviews, and even work harder when it’s Andrew, because only so much of my love affair with his words can be biased, yeah? I’m truly stumped here with this one. Everything was picture perfect. I adored this book, if that’s a statement you can make regarding the subject matter that is put forth.

Actually, scratch that – I remember something. Ramsay. The detective. Ohh, he ground me wrong. So yeah, the detective! Take that!

Why you should buy it: Really? OK. Well, you should buy it because it’s Andrew Pyper, of course, but if you like crime-thrillers/mysteries with the perimeter brushing of a supernatural read, you can’t go wrong here. One thing that actually caught me off guard, was when I came to the end of the book, read the thanks from the author note and then flipped the digital page – it had a list of Andrew’s books, from then. The sheer fact that this book was his release before ‘The Demonologist’ made me do a double-take. Insanity. Pyper does continue to get better and better, but do not ignore his back catalog. He has never released a poor book, and ‘The Killing Circle’ may just be the best book I’ve ever read. I’ll be pondering that statement for some time, that’s for sure.

Easy 5/5

The Circle closes…

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The Killing Circle was released in 2008.

And then there was one.

One book left, one post left. What a conclusion.

Tomorrow features a wrap-up, but this is the final retrospective.

I’d read them all. ‘The Killing Circle’ was the only one remaining. I’d conquered my demons and dove into ‘The Guardians’ and after I raved about it on Twitter, two or three others replied, saying ‘The Killing Circle’ was even better, and that I needed to get on it.

Yet, those strange old fears kept tugging at my readers brain. This one didn’t have a synopsis that I typically would be drawn to read. In fact, if Andrew’s name wasn’t on this one, I’d probably never have given it a second thought, let alone buy it on Kindle and in paperback.

A widower who hates his journalist job, joins a writing circle to see if he can finally write his novel. He struggles with the loss of his wife and with raising his son. But, this is Andrew. This is Mr. Pyper. Not all is how it seems and before long members of the writing circle begin to feel like they are being followed, as people around them disappear or are found dead.

When I finished ‘The Guardians’ I raved. I gushed. I told my wife how amazing it was and that I’d just read a novel so good, that I didn’t think anything would ever top it. I wanted to read it again right away, to go back and visit those characters.

But ‘The Killing Circle’ got its ferocious talons into my eyes and goddamn I don’t think I blinked or breathed once. It is absolutely suffocating. The tension is palpable, the anxiety to such another level that for those with claustrophobia, you’ll need to go read this in an open field under a sunny, cloud-free sky.

I hate to call this Andrew’s ‘magnum opus’ simply because he’s released so many stellar releases since, and even his books prior were amazing. But something about this book delivered on another level and when I sent Andrew the book specific questions, his answer told me why. This book is greatly autobiographical in terms of setting/location and while I’ve raved about how Andrew always does such an amazing job of elevating the location of each book and makes it into a character, this one went to another level. Each street has a pulse and a plot point and Andrew never lets up.

Since I finished reading this, two things have really stayed with me.

I should’ve waited to finish reading this to send the questions to Andrew! While the one question was great and thorough, I would easily substitute the question about the number 29 in a heart beat.
I can’t stop thinking about every aspect of this book. The beginning at the drive-in, the middle with the writing circle characters and the ending, far out in the middle of nowhere.

It’s a book that has left a scar on my readers psyche, a book that’ll long stay with me and one that I’ll be praising as a template for people to read when they want to feel pure terror.

How foolish of me now, to have had this fear for so long that I’d find a Pyper book I didn’t enjoy or love!?

‘The Killing Circle’ was the final nail in that coffin, a book so good, that I feel ashamed it was the last one of Andrew’s I read.

From book one to the very last, Andrew has created characters and worlds that I’ll be forever grateful for. Books that have helped me and got me through rough patches. Books that have taken me back twenty years and made me think of moments I’d long tucked away somewhere unseen.

When you find an author that feels like each book they are writing just for you, hold on to that author. Don’t be afraid of change or that a new book, or one you haven’t read yet may not connect with you. It will. Even if you don’t like it, they’ve still invited you into their world, so by all means, make sure to visit.

To think this is the last retrospective fills me with a bit of sadness. It’s been a really amazing journey through these books, and while I haven’t added all of the life events that have gone along with reading each book, just know that I have them jotted down on a word doc. Some have made me smile, while others have brought me to my knees. But it’s all been worth it. If even one person has purchased one of Andrew’s books because of any of these posts, I’ve done my job. And thank you.

I have one more post scheduled for tomorrow –  a wrap up post. But for all intents and purposes, this is the end.

I don’t know what next May looks like. I’d hope to find some way to celebrate again. Maybe not to the depths and extent of this years, but I’ll think of something.

So, to Andrew Pyper – THANK YOU.

To every one who has read these, liked them, shared them and commented on them – THANK YOU.

This has been the ride of my life.

Maybe, just like Andrew writing ‘The Killing Circle’ its felt like this because of how personal it has been?

Maybe?

 

Book Review Revisited – The Guardians by Andrew Pyper

(*This was originally posted on this site on April 1, 2020)

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Book Title: The Guardians

Author: Andrew Pyper

Release date: January 1st, 2011

“There was something wrong about a house people chose not to live in.”

Look, there really is no secret to my adoration of Andrew Pyper and his books. At this point the only two I haven’t read from him were ‘The Guardians’ and ‘Killing Circle.’ Why hadn’t I read them? Two reasons really – 1) Pyper is my grounding author. If I have no Pyper to read, what can I turn to when I’m struggling or in a slump? 2) God forbid, what if the unfortunate happened and for some reason I didn’t like one of them? I know, I know, probably not going to happen, but it’s a worry.

Then life hit. It’s a weird world we’re living in and with COVID-19 creating so much unknown and for many people a loss of enjoyment of normally enjoyable activities, reading has become a solitude for many.

For me – I went two days in a row without reading a book. That’s substantial. So, I decided to abandon my two current reads – and decided to dive into ‘The Guardians.’

I now really regret having waited so long to read this.

What I liked: This may very well be the first coming-of-age thriller/horror story I’ve read from a Canadian author, especially one of this magnitude (does The Troop count?). For me, Pyper is the best writer on the planet for a reason – every single sentence he writes is sublime, but he is always willing and capable of writing the gore-iest, scariest scenes out there. The book takes place in two time periods – Grade 11 in Grimshaw and present day aka 20 years later after the events in the past. We follow Trevor (Trev to his friends) as he returns to Grimshaw after a close high school friend dies. It is through the past and the present that we learn about the secret they kept from all those years ago, and how that secret created ripples through each of their lives until now.

Pyper crafted a gem here. In Canada the writing and pacing of this is akin to the show ‘Corner Gas’ or for the newer crowd ‘Letterkenny.’ This is small town Canada to a T. If you’ve grown up in the middle of nowhere you understand the phrase “Every small town has it’s secrets. Every small town also learns how to forget them.”

We get to see the relationships between the four friends, all members of the local hockey team ‘The Guardians’ and its through this friendship that unspoken things are agreed upon as only childhood closeness can allow.

I absolutely loved the ‘Memory Journal’ aspect that then lead into the present day going’s on. The book is filled with sorrow and despair at how things were and how they are now, but Pyper makes you connect with the characters, feel for them, but also desire to know just what happens.

What I didn’t like: It’s hard to sum up, but what I didn’t like was the main character Trevor and how much he reminded me of myself. Trevor left small town Grimshaw and owned a night club and was a big deal, according to him. He doesn’t want to go back, but he knows he must for his friend and to try and put closure on what happened all those years ago. I did a similar thing. For me, I longed and desired to leave where I grew up as fast as I could and for many, many years, I had my nose raised at those that stayed behind and never left. But who am I to judge? If they are happy, great. It’s their life. It took me many years to let myself let go of my snobbish views. So, reading how Trevor was acting and reacting reminded me a lot of my younger self. Uncomfortably so.

Why you should buy this:  This book is going to stay with me forever, really. The small town setting, the characters, the happenings. It was just a perfect read at a time I needed a perfect read. It was also one of the scariest, nerve rattling books I’ve read in some time. Every time we learned more about the Thurman house and what was going on there, it became creepier and creepier. Pyper did such a stunning job of crafting a heartfelt story that is interconnected by a phenomenal ghost story.

I now only have ‘The Killing Circle’ left to read from Pyper and I’m probably going to jump into that in the next day or two. I’ve tossed aside the notion that I may not enjoy it, because frankly, Pyper is the perfect author voice for this reader. Time and time again he’s answered this horror fans call with a stunning read and he did it once again here.

5/5

 

I finally take a chance…

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The Guardians was released in 2011

Here we are. Two last posts, not counting the wrap up post. Can’t believe we’re almost at the end.

What got us here? One collection and eight books. Which left two novels. ‘The Guardians’ and ‘The Killing Circle.’ Finally, after the stunning ARC that was ‘The Residence’ I knew I had to finally get over my fear of finishing Andrew’s books.

So, really, why hadn’t I read these yet?

Well yes, part of it was my concern that I might stumble upon a Pyper book I didn’t enjoy. But, the real reason I’d not read ‘The Guardians’ yet was ridiculous. I stumbled upon a poor review of it on Goodreads. It swayed me. It got to me. It wasn’t detailed, it wasn’t an in-depth analysis of the novel. No, it was some crappy 2 star review that said something like “poor attempt at a haunted house book.” Some junk like that. And for whatever reason, that review stuck in my head and stayed there.

But, then I looked at the calendar and chuckled. It was going to be May soon. One year ago I did an attempt at Pyper-May-Nia! I wanted to actually do it well this year, something worthy of what Andrew has brought to my life. I knew I needed to read them all, and I flipped a coin and voila – ‘The Guardians’ was next.

This may very well be the first Canadian coming-of-age story I’ve read. It’s set in a small Canadian town and is small-town personified. Hell, Andrew could very well have walked the streets of Burton, where I grew up and set it there. I was stunned. Between the main character having a neurological condition, the heading back home after being away for so long story line and the inevitable running into old acquaintances, Andrew crafted a pure gem. But underneath all of that – this was one of the finest haunted house, paranormal stories I’ve ever read. It left me shattered in places, scared to death in others and the characters were so well done, I easily pictured those friends I had so many years ago in their places.

I make no secrets that I struggle to process where I came from. How things unraveled and while some of it was my fault, some of it was my former friends fault as well. I see it when I go back and run into them in Overwaitea, or at Carson’s Corner. I feel it when I see them post throwback photos and I’m never in them. It’s a point of my life that is filled with such joy but also such incredible sorrow.

‘The Guardians’ covers so much of those feelings. Once again, it seems like Pyper has written a book just for me and its an odd thing. I read a book like this and I want to message Andrew and just gush about it, but I try to walk that line of fan well. I don’t want to come off as crazy or pushy or too fan-boy (although I probably have and Andrew has been kind enough to not block me yet!) I imagine a lot of readers discover this with books they love. It’s a strange place to be, much like it’s a strange place when you go back home.

Andrew sets the tone with this book with two key lines. The first was that small towns have a way of forgetting the past. Bingo. Absolutely correct. Again, every time I go back to visit I am constantly surprised to see who is married to who now and who has kids with who.

The second line, which is a familiar refrain, is that you can’t always go home again.

Watching our main character try and come to grips with the death of a childhood friend as well as the clutch this haunted house has on their group was fantastic.

Once again, Andrew delivered a ‘must-read’ book.

When I finished reading this I was truly blown away.

I had already contacted Andrew and asked if he’d be up to another Pyper-May-Nia! and if so, would he be on board to be a bit more in depth. He kindly agreed.

I told him that I just needed to read ‘The Killing Circle’ and I would send him the book specific questions.

When I finished ‘The Guardians’ I was sure that I’d found my new favorite book of all time.

That was before I read ‘The Killing Circle.’

Book Review Revisited – The Residence by Andrew Pyper

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(*This review originally featured here on February 28, 2020)

Title: The Residence

Author: Andrew Pyper

Release date: September 1st, 2020

“My dear Clara, it seems that the White House is haunted.”

– Major Archie Butt, summer 1911.

The only written record of ‘the Thing’ that haunts the White House has always fascinated me. Growing up, my Grandma Hankins always had copies of the Weekly World News sitting around her house, and I remember one such story vividly – the ghost in the White House. Is it Lincoln’s son who died while he was in office? Is it Pierce’s son who died in a train accident prior to his presidency?

No matter what it is, Pyper has latched onto an amazing moment in US paranormal history and created a stunning dread-filled story.

It’s no secret I’m a Pyper fan. His writing voice is second to none and his novels have a way of immediately capturing your attention and then keeping you engrossed. One such trait Pyper has, that many “high profile” authors lack, is his willingness to go there. The darker areas. The seedier spots of horror. A perfect example is the ending to his last novel ‘The Homecoming,’ or the horrors that he wrapped his readers in with ‘The Demonologist.’ Pyper is willing to make his readers squirm and with ‘The Residence’ boy does he ever.

What I liked: While I was reading this, I tweeted out how this book read like Pyper’s writing in 2020 with the dread he infused in ‘Lost Girls.’ When I read ‘Lost Girls’ I knew something bad had happened, something I didn’t want to know. But Andrew pulled me along and when it came together you felt heart broken and despondent. Much like Andrew Cull’s recent release ‘Remains,’ ‘The Residence’ at its core is a story about grief and how it affects those impacted by it. Both physically and psychologically. There are essentially four main characters playing out here; President Pierce, his wife Jane, The White House itself and the presidency. You see, as things continue to spiral and Jane grows more and more withdrawn, Pierce constantly has to decide what can and can’t be made public and how the perceptions of the people to his decisions will look. Pierce had a presidency marked with highs and lows within the slavery era, and while Pyper touches on that, he does so with delicacy.

The story arc of Jane was really well done, and while you may argue that the main character was Pierce, I’d suggest that the true character to follow was her and her struggles, her acceptance and her resolve.

The secondary characters here were also fantastic. Pyper used them as fantastic set pieces, coming and going as needed and aiding when asked. You could see that they had a singular devotion – to the house and the presidency.

Lastly – ‘the Thing.’ The synopsis tells us upfront that after losing their son Bennie and then moving into the White House, Franklin and Jane begin to experience things. That synopsis does not prepare you in the least for what is to come. Pyper has once again crafted some amazingly frightening moments, parts in this book will stay with you for many, many years to come. To say I was riveted really doesn’t do it justice. Outstanding frights.

What I didn’t like: I loved this book, but there was two small parts that I found wishing for more. The first was Jane’s relative. Because Jane is unwilling to participate in public events, Pierce recruits a stand-in for her. They do develop some feelings towards each other; Franklin struggling with seemingly having lost his son to death and his wife to grief, but then for a period, the relative disappears and we don’t hear much from her.

The second part that I wished for more was hearing about the sisters who rose to prominence in paranormal circles. Pyper does have them both for a period featured and then one of the sisters returns near the end, but the paranormal fan in me was hoping they’d play a bigger role.

Neither of these things worked as a detriment to the overall story, and truthfully – this is more me splitting hairs to show that I can look at and read a Pyper book fairly!

Why you should buy it: This one ticks off a number of boxes for horror/thriller/ghost fans. This has moments that made me feel like it had been influenced by The Shining as well as Books of Blood period Barker. The descriptions are lush yet pointed, creating a claustrophobic setting in a house that is expansive and a mansion.

Pyper, to me at least, is the most confident writer I’ve ever read who is unfailing in his approach to delivering. From the beginning, to the middle and then the ending, everything has a place, a purpose. Just look at the toy mentioned throughout – The General. If you have any plastic army men kicking around, you’ll never look at them the same way after one particular scene.

I know I frequently sing my praises for Pyper – but rightfully so. After delivering a stunning novel in ‘The Homecoming’ to return in such short time with an absolute gem of historical fiction with this shows he’s really found a groove and there seems to be no slowing down.

Recently it was announced that this book had been picked up for production to become a historical fiction/non-fiction series. Now having finished this book, that couldn’t be a more perfect fit.

For new fans or fans of old, Pyper has given us another gift and easily one of his best books. I’m so thankful to have been allowed to give this one an early read and it didn’t disappoint.

Thank you to Skybound Books, Simon & Schuster, Simon & Schuster Canada and Andrew Pyper for the copy for review. Thank you to Michael Patrick Hicks for giving me the heads up that this was available on Edelweiss and thank you to Edelweiss for the approval. I already have the Hardcover and the Kindle copies pre-ordered!

5/5

 

Pyper brings us a new ghost story…

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The Residence will arrive September, 2020!

 

Alright, so thus far, you’ve all come along on this retrospective journey of my travels through Andrew’s books. While technically we are down to two that have been released, there are three in his bibliography. ‘The Guardians’ and ‘The Killing Circle’ sat wallowing on my TBR for the exact same reasons I’ve moaned about this entire month like a giant douche. “Ohhhhh, but what if I don’t like a book from my favorite author… wahhhhh!”

Douche.

But then Andrew announced that he would be having a book released in 2020.

SHUT THE FRONT DOOR.

‘The Homecoming’ wasn’t even a year old and already we had news of a new release! AND even better;

https://www.skybound.com/books/the-residence/white-house-andrew-pyper-novel-tv-show

That’s frickin’ right! A TV Series. Now, obviously we can’t get our hopes up, way up, because the TV and Movie industry are fickle jerks. Pyper fans have been patiently waiting for adaptations of ‘The Demonologist,’ ‘The Damned,’ and ‘The Homecoming,’ for a bit. But ‘The Residence’ seems like as close to a sure thing as most sure things are.

On my end, the announcement of the new novel meant two immediate things – 1) I pre-ordered the hardcover. 2) I pre-ordered the Kindle version.

I’d struck out previously in my attempt to acquire an ARC for ‘The Homecoming,’ so I didn’t get my hopes up. When I’d asked Andrew previously about who to email regarding getting onto a review’s copy list, he kindly passed on the contact information, but I never heard back. (I’m not saying this to get anyone in trouble or anything, just what happened!)

I saw Andrew post a photo of his physical ARC’s one day and sent him a congratulations message. I’m that type of person. I like to congratulate, support and build people up. And I’m also a card guy. I just like to let people know that I truly do appreciate them and that I don’t take anything for granted. (Just ask Andrew! I’ve probably sent him 10 thank you cards over the past few years!)

But then I was chatting with my pal Sam on Instagram, and she said I should email the ARC person again. So, I messaged Andrew to ask who to contact for this book. I didn’t want to assume it was the same publicist and look like a big time jerk for cold-emailing someone not even affiliated with the release.

Insanely, Andrew offered to send me a copy. I’ll wait while you pick your jaws off the ground. I haven’t been sharing too many of my personalized copies from Andrew, but I’ll share this one!

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That’s right! I came home from work one day and saw a package from Andrew! My wife hadn’t even told me it arrived and IT WAS A PHYSICAL ARC!

Now, I need to jump back before the physical ARC arrived. I get a decent amount of digital review books from Netgalley. But one day, over on Twitter, the fantastic Michael Patrick Hicks tweeted at me that ‘The Residence’ was available on Edelweiss. I’d never used Edelweiss and heard they were difficult to get approvals from. I signed up and requested the book for review and amazingly, I was approved about three days later.

This time, I didn’t wait. I dove into the book that night and over the next three nights, Pyper took me to a time in the White House that I’ll never forget. To sounds in the halls, rooms unseen and a family under enormous stress – both from Political happenings, but also from horrific loss.

Of course, this is a Pyper book, so while the historical narrative is engrossing, it’s the little dashes of the paranormal he injects early on that will make you wonder just what is happening. The way Andrew pulls the reader along, to have them need to know what is going to happen next is always stellar, but with ‘The Residence’ he’s found another gear. Whether it was having a set-in-stone floor plan already available, or two characters that share the spotlight that have such a troubled history already, but in this book, Andrew alternates between thriller and sorrow as deftly as someone flipping a coin and calling it in the air.

‘The Residence’ shows that there really is no slowing down with Andrew. As The National Post stated before and as used on many of his book covers, “Pyper could be the next Stephen King,” and I’m pleading with the powers that be to make that a reality here. Andrew has concurred Canada and is the King of the Horror/Thriller world up here. The world is next. And I’m confident that ‘The Residence’ will be that crack in the chain mail armor that will let the rest of the world fully embrace ‘the next one’ as ‘the already here one.’

As for me, I’m always waiting to see what Andrew will announce next!