TRUE CRIME by Samantha Kolesnik

True Crime by Samantha Kolesnik
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Well, last night I picked out another novella that I've had on my Kindle for a while.

Suzy and Lim live with their abusive mother in a shitty house hiding too many despicable secrets. Until the day it's all too much and the siblings find themselves on the run...

O.M.F.G. 😳

This story is beyond fucked up. I mean, seriously. It's like watching a true crime documentary from the other side. From the side we don't want to see. Yet, that's what makes this book so damn addictive.

I seriously couldn't put it down because Suzy's voice is very strong and interesting. But also callous and quite gross. Suzy's attitude to life is so sad because the way she was raised deprived her of emotion and real human connection.

By the way, this novella needs all the trigger warnings because it touches on just about every awful thing that's sure to make a reader want to look away. Even though you can't. You might want to, but you won't.

As I said, Suzy's awful life and the disgusting people around her are sure to keep you glued to every ugly page. Even the few good people will make you uncomfortable.

This is such a well-written story. It's weird to say I enjoyed it, but I did. This story highlight how the horrid cycle of disgraceful abuse can twist the most innocent into a different kind of monster.

Utterly disturbing.


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HELENA by Claire L. Smith

Helena by Claire L. Smith
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Last night, while looking through the many books I have on my Kindle, I decided to get stuck into this one.

It's 1855 and Helena Morrigan is a mortician struggling to make ends meet. That's how she ends up living in an old house that's close to the graveyard. But it also means that she befriends the Tarter siblings and realises she's not the only one with secrets...

I loved the rich atmospheric gothic vibes that dripped from every page of this novella. The sense of Victorian times, as well as the location was very vivid and pulled me into the story. Once I started, I couldn't wait to see what was going to happen next. And it didn't disappoint.

This is a fast-paced story about a very strong young woman determined to live her life even though she's suffered a lot of loss. She excels at a job most find macabre and in her time, struggle to understand why a woman would go anywhere near dead bodies. But she's not the only cool character. I really liked Audrey and Valerie because they're also women who aren't afraid to be themselves.

The creepy side of this tale kept me guessing but there were enough breadcrumbs throughout to realise exactly what Helena's dark secret is. And I found the writing charming. It was snappy and lovely, but also threw a hint of confusion into the narrative that made everything that little bit darker.

Really enjoyed this one!

 

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I have some awesome news!

Hey! How are you today? I hope February is treating you well.

I thought I'd pop in to mention some great news!

Here's the first bit:

That's right!

I have a new book coming out next month from Anuci Press. I'm SO excited!

Check out that fantastic cover, which was made by the very talented Adrian from Fabled Beast Design. I love it because this cover fits the story perfectly!

I can't wait for this book to be out in the wild. And that happens to be March 29th. ☺️

The other very cool piece of news is this:

 This is also very exciting because this novella is actually a sequel/companion to

SUFFER THE DARKNESS.

I don't have a release date for this one yet, but I can't wait to share more details when I have them. 😃

Well, there you have it! 

Finally got some reading done!

 

Open House by Nico Bell
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

After a super busy month, I wanted to start February with a bit of reading. And this novelette was the perfect choice because I read it in one sitting.

Caleb is an ambitious realtor in LA who's trying to sell a modern high-tech mansion to establish himself professionally and financially. But during an open house, he meets a mysterious woman who sends him down a twisted path he wasn't expecting...

Yikes. This is such an intense story! I was hooked from the start and loved that the twists and turns took me in directions I wasn't expecting. It's quite the roller-coaster ride that slowly unravels and doesn't let go until the very end.

I love stories that take a well-worn trope (which I can't mention because it's a spoiler) and turn it upside down. And that's exactly what happens here. Just when you think you know what's happening and where it's going, you run into a new surprise.

I REALLY enjoyed this fast-paced story!

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Mandy by Stephanie Sparks
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

After finishing a very disappointing story, I decided to get stuck into this one and I'm glad I did!

When strangers knock on Mandy Fisher's door in the middle of the night she doesn't want to answer, but they're persistent. And as soon as she lets these two guys into her life, everything gets turned upside down…

Wow. This story! I enjoyed the hell out of this ultra violent and totally wild novella. I mean, this story needs all the trigger warnings because so much of what happens is SO wrong. Not to mention how uncomfortable I was during most of it because a lot of the story deals with a raging sexist asshole who treats every woman with violence. But don't get me wrong, he's not limited to one gender because Robbie is such a despicable character. Ugh.

But you know what? As bizarre as the concept is, because Mandy's gift is quite disturbing, this was so well written I couldn't put it down. I was on the edge of my seat all the way through, and really liked Mandy. As wrong as a lot of what she's done turns out to be, I really liked her. I felt sorry for her because she had the worst luck and life wasn't kind to her.

This is such a great novella and I need to read more books written by this author.

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