Book 2 in the Bad Games series didn't disappoint. This book includes the same shocks, the same thrills, but introduced a new character, Domino Taylor,Book 2 in the Bad Games series didn't disappoint. This book includes the same shocks, the same thrills, but introduced a new character, Domino Taylor, an ex-Marine who now runs a private security company. Domino is tasked with guarding the Lambert family after the horrors they endured at Crescent Lake. Even though it's all over.
Or is it?
I rated this book 4 stars instead of the 5 I gave book 1. Not because it wasn't as good, but I guess it didn't shock me as much as book 1. That is one of the major issues of sequels - keeping it fresh and just as stunning as the first instalment. Jeff Menapace does a great job to try to keep the dread going. He only just missed, in my opinion, but I did enjoy this book immensely. Onto book 3!...more
Omg!! This is my first Jeff Menapace book, and man, am I hooked!!!
Set back in 2008, the Lamberts travel to peaceful Crescent Lake for a familyOmg!! This is my first Jeff Menapace book, and man, am I hooked!!!
Set back in 2008, the Lamberts travel to peaceful Crescent Lake for a family weekend. Nature, fun, games ... You know, all the good stuff. Sounds amazing. But is it? A series of weird encounters with a couple of guys starts to make things unravel and sets their nerves a-jangling. Because the Fannelli brothers are also out for some fun and games - just not what most would consider 'normal' fun.
As the Lamberts try to work out what's going on, the reader is taken on a ride through Crazy-town as we get dragged along with the Fannellis as they set up an elaborate ruse to get their new playthings - the Lambert family - right where they want them so they can play out their horrifying fantasies.
Menapace takes us on this side, kicking and screaming, yet wanting more. You will instantly fall in love with the Lamberts and will definitely lose hours and sleep, and probably some fingernail length.
I loved every second of this book and will immediately be starting on the sequel now, Vengeful Games....more
The premise of this book caught my attention straight away. A group of people head off into the wilderness to find buried treasure - the backbone ofThe premise of this book caught my attention straight away. A group of people head off into the wilderness to find buried treasure - the backbone of more bad books than good, probably. Thankfully , this book fell into the good pile. I absolutely loved it.
Set in the 1970's, around the time of the Vietnam war and the end of the free-love era, a group of strangers meet a mysterious adventurer in a pub (or saloon, as the Americans call them). Gathered around a corner table, the man regales them with a tale about the lost, buried loot stolen by the infamous BD Cooper after an airplane hijacking. Apparently, Cooper has asked this stranger to gather together a group of people, head off into the woods, following some specific directions, find the cash and split it amongst them. He is no ordinary thief; more of a modern-day Robin Hood.
So, that's what happens. However, as normal, what seems like a quick expedition, is hampered by a sudden, but expected blizzard, meaning our intrepid treasure hunters are stuck in the storm.
Bev Wikowski, our main protagonist, is about to find out. Bev is a single mother, a struggling journalist stuck in a sexist, male dominated world of newspapers. She is a regular writer of the "women's pages", but she wants more. She wants a big story which will win her a Pulitzer prize and catapult her career. So she agrees to go along with the ragtag bunch. Here starts a study of human nature. How far would she go when faced with sudden riches? What would she be capable of doing just to survive?
I thought this book was so well written. The characters were quite relatable, and could have been set in any era. Having been set in the 70's was quite apt, though, as the characters were without mobile phones or EPIRBs to be able to save themselves with, which added to the tension. A great read.
Thank to the publisher and author for a free review copy of this book, in return for an honest review....more
Firstly, thanks to Netgalley, the publishers and author for a free ARC of this book in return for an honest review.
You Saw Too Much follows the tragicFirstly, thanks to Netgalley, the publishers and author for a free ARC of this book in return for an honest review.
You Saw Too Much follows the tragic story of Lori Turner as she deals with the grief of losing her husband and unborn child in a car accident. But was it an accident, or something more sinister? Lori finds herself trying to unravel the mystery of the accident while dealing with her fragile mental state. Once she finds the truth, she embarks on a mission to seek justice against the forces behind the death of her family.
This book is a great study of how an individual could be affected but such heavy loss and the effects it can have on their mental state, ranging from depression to paranoia, anger and even changes to a person's personality. Unfortunately, I felt it took too long to go through those emotions - about half of the book. At that point, things became interesting again, with Lori taking matters into her own hands. I'm glad I stuck at it as, overall, this turned out to be a good read. It earns a solid 3.5 stars from me.
The writing was very good, and the main characters were relatable, even evoking the appropriate frustrations with the nosy townsfolk and inaction from the town police chief....more
*Thanks to the publishers and Netgalley for an advance copy in return for an honest review.*
This is the 2nd book I have read where Bram Stoker is*Thanks to the publishers and Netgalley for an advance copy in return for an honest review.*
This is the 2nd book I have read where Bram Stoker is written in as a character fighting off vampires. The first was Dracul by J.D. Barker and Dacre Stoker. I gave that book 5 stars in Goodreads, and this book deserves the same.
To top it all off, here we see Bram Stoker teaming up with Oscar Wilde. The dislike between these two men actually makes for some hilarious quips and snarky comments. At the same time, their unique talents are brought into play - intelligence, quick wit and bravery.
Written as a series of letters and journal entries, the flow of this book is surprisingly good. All events tie in together beautifully, told by alternating characters in their own way. I would highly recommend this book to any supernatural, action and horror fans....more
A former soldier with a a dark past; a Zulu warrior, also with a dark past; a nun; and missing African orphans. These are the mainGreat action
A former soldier with a a dark past; a Zulu warrior, also with a dark past; a nun; and missing African orphans. These are the main elements to this story, the first in a series featuring Garrett Storm, the former soldier, who is enlisted by a local mission nun when a number of orphans go missing.
Garrett Storm has witnessed some real atrocities in the local civil wars in Sierra Leone. As a result, a side of him, which he calls the Beast, has developed. When "the Beast" is released, Garrett becomes capable of the most vicious actions, all in the name of retribution. Teaming up with a highly trained Zulu warrior who insists on using a traditional, tribal spear as his main weapon, and you have a fighting pair that strikes fear into any hardened criminal.
This book is a lot of fun. The writing style is a little strange, where short sentences are often used instead of commas and other punctuation options. But once you get used to that, and realise it is the style employed, rather than grammatical errors, it actually kind of adds to the action by giving the impression of pace. Having said that, there are still typographical errors here and there, but they're not too distracting. Looki g forward to the next installment in the Garrett Storm series....more
Firstly, thanks to NetGalley for a free ARC in return for an honest review.
I absolutely loved this book! To know that a descendent of Bram Stoker wasFirstly, thanks to NetGalley for a free ARC in return for an honest review.
I absolutely loved this book! To know that a descendent of Bram Stoker was involved with this story is amazing in itself. Pair him with J.D. Barker, an author I have been dying to read, and this is a match made in heaven (or is it hell?).
The style if this book is very interesting. This is a prequel to Bram Stoker's Dracula, using Bram and the Stoker family as the primary characters. The story develops in the form of journal entries from the point of view of each of the family members, as well as other key character, including a character who may be the real person behind the Van Helsing persona. But don't let that put you off. The way each entry ties in with each other, slowly revealing events and adding depth and context to these events, is amazing!
I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in vampire, occult, supernatural, horror or suspense stories, as it does span many of these genres.
Look out for these two writers - I personally cannot wait to read more from them....more
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