Voodoo Heart by John Everson Review

4/5 Stars 247 pages
Published October 20th 2020 by Flame Tree Press

I haven’t read a ton of scary stories this October, but the ones I have gotten my hands on, I’ve really enjoyed, and this one is no exception. Though I do have to say that there were a few parts that I was too immature to read and had me laughing harder than I should have, I did really like reading this, and I’m happy to have a copy for my bookshelf. If you’re looking for a New Orleans Detective style murder mystery novel with a ton of magic and voodoo mixed in, than you might want to check this out next.

Following a detective who’s a little too close to the cases assigned to him, it shows his life as he tries to get over the loss of his wife, who after finding out she was cheating on him, lost her life. Her body was never found, but her heart, and a whole lot of her blood, were found on the bed next to him. Since then, almost the exact same situation has been happening again and again, more and more people missing each month. And he’s determined to get to the bottom of it.

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What I expected from this book, was just a normal detective novel, and not the deep dive on voodoo I got. I really liked that about this book. I feel like I learned something, even though it’s fiction, you know? It was really interesting. And I think the whole aspect about curses and rituals really gave it an interesting feel. This wasn’t one of those books where you know who did it, although I did kind of have a feeling about it. A lot of the book, I was wondering if I was being tricked into thinking it was someone else, if the curse was actually real and maybe it could have just been a serial killer who was involved with some dark magic thinking, or if maybe the main character was imagining the whole thing due to some kind of spiral after losing his wife. But no, I got the ending I wanted, with a lot more supernatural aspects than I expected.

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Overall, if you think this is something you’d like, than by all means, grab a copy! I’m glad I have it on my shelf, and I can recommend it to people I know once I see them again. I know a few people who would like this, book, and I think it’s perfect for this month. Definitely check it out if you get the chance.

If you’d like to grab a copy, you can do so here through my Amazon Associates link.

And if you’d like to keep up with the author, you can here!

Thanks for reading! Hope you’re having a good day.

The Sensation (Salvi Brentt #2) by Amanda Bridgeman Review

5/5 Stars 400 pages
Published October 13th 2020 by Angry Robot

Has it really been two years since the first book? I absolutely loved that one, and my opinion hasn’t changed about the series with this one. From the second I started it, I knew I wasn’t going to be able to put it down until it was finished, and that’s exactly what happened. I really had trouble reading other things while my phone was charging, and that’s exactly what I love about this series. It worms its way into your head, and once you’re in, you’re not getting back out. Kind of like the subject matter in this novel specifically.

Salvi Brentt is back, and even though she’s been put on a desk job for the time being, she’s sick of it, and all the therapy she’s been having to go through since the events of the last book. But that’s about to change, because her therapist is just clearing her to go back on the street, and start the job that she loves all over again. Only with a new partner. This time, however, it’s not about The Subjugates. It’s about people going missing, and occasionally, turning up with their bodies horrifically carved into. It’s about the club scene, and the drug scene. And most of all, it’s about control, and in some cases, the lack of control.

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At around four hundred pages, this solid novel never even gives you a chance to breathe once you’re in it. It’s a rollercoaster that just keeps going up. And then at the end, it finally goes down. Just not in the way you’d expect. It’s one of those that I’m just hoping and praying I’m not going to have to wait another two years for the next one. I love Salvi so much, she’s so strong and she has such a rich backstory that we’re just beginning to learn about. She’s everything you could ever want to be in a person, and she knows it. And I just think she’s the perfect character to tell stories like these.

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The thing that I love the most about these books, is how much it reminds me of one of those crime scene investigation shows, not only in the way the events are laid out in front of you, but also in the way that the characters interact with it, and each other. I really feel like I’m watching a tv show when I’m reading these books, and I think that’s a very hard thing to do. I can’t get enough. And I love the little scifi twist that’s put in. The author writes an intricate web, until you have no way of knowing where to look, who’s to blame, and can’t possibly guess what’s going to happen next, and then it’s all destroyed in the last ten percent of the book, and you’re left thinking, how did all of that happen so fast and I didn’t get lost? And what’s going to happen next?

If you’re into scifi, and you’re into mysterious detective books, than I highly suggest you give this series a chance. At only two books, I have a feeling that this is just the beginning, and I’m really stoked to see what Salvi gets herself into next time, while she’s just trying to make the world around her act right, and save lives.

If you’d like to grab a copy, you can do so here through my Amazon Associates link!

And if you’d like to keep up with the author, you can on Twitter here!

Thanks for reading! Hope you’re doing great.

The Bailey Spade Series by Dima Zales Cover Reveals (4 in 1!)

Dream Walker
Dima Zale
(The Bailey Spade Series, #1)
Publication date: January 26th 2021
Genres: Adult, Urban Fantasy

Think your dreams are private? Think again.

As a dreamwalker, I can ease your nightmares, inspire creation, or steal memories, all for the small price of a buttload of cash. I need the money to save my mom’s life, and the clock is ticking.

Then a gorgeous illusionist comes into the picture—though those mouthwatering looks may just be his powers in action. He sends me on a job with a major paycheck, but the pucking vampires show up and ruin everything.

As usual, they suck.

Now I’m knee-deep in a murder case where the victims and the perps could all kill me with a snap of their fingers. Throw in a creepy castle, a stinky moat, and a legendary monster, and we’ve got ourselves a party. Especially when the bodies begin to pile up.

My name is Bailey Spade, and if I don’t solve this case, I’m dead.

Dream Hunter
Dima Zale
(The Bailey Spade Series, #2)
Publication date: February 9th 2021
Genres: Adult, Urban Fantasy

What was missing from my life? A crazy cult that worships the ancient god of nightmares, that’s what.

When I break my most sacred vow and invade my mom’s dreams, things get complicated, fast. With Valerian’s help, I’m on a quest to boost my powers and learn to forgive myself—all while saving my home world from complete annihilation at the hands of deranged cultists.

In other words, a regular Wednesday.

Dream Chaser
Dima Zale
(The Bailey Spade Series, #3)
Publication date: February 23rd 2021
Genres: Adult, Urban Fantasy

The god of nightmares is real? How fun.

A mystery dreamwalker is trying to turn me homicidally insane? Business as usual.

But when a legendary seer gets involved, we end up on a world populated by necromancers. Oops. I’ll have to put on my big dreamwalker panties and learn to forgive Valerian’s betrayal before we’re all killed by Icelus… or zombies… or a deadly virus.

Dream Ender
Dima Zale
(The Bailey Spade Series, #4)
Publication date: March 9th 2021
Genres: Adult, Urban Fantasy

Not only is Phobetor real, he’s about to destroy life on every world with sentient beings. You could say he’s becoming a bit of a problem.

Unless I’m somehow the hero of an ancient prophecy—and let’s face it, I’m not—everyone I care about is in major trouble.

My name is Bailey Spade, and this is how my story ends.

Add to Goodreads / Pre-order

Author Bio:

If you’d like to know when the next book comes out, please sign up for Dima’s newsletter at http://www.dimazales.com.

Dima Zales is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of science fiction and fantasy. Prior to becoming a writer, he worked in the software development industry in New York as both a programmer and an executive. From high-frequency trading software for big banks to mobile apps for popular magazines, Dima has done it all. In 2013, he left the software industry in order to concentrate on his writing career and moved to Palm Coast, Florida, where he currently resides.

Dima holds a Master’s degree in Computer Science from NYU and a dual undergraduate degree in Computer Science / Psychology from Brooklyn College. He also has a number of hobbies and interests, the most unusual of which might be professional-level mentalism. He simulates mind reading on stage and close-up, and has done shows for corporations, wealthy individuals, and friends.

He is also into healthy eating and fitness, so he should live long enough to finish all the book projects he starts. In fact, he very much hopes to catch the technological advancements that might let him live forever (biologically or otherwise). Aside from that, he also enjoys learning about current and future technologies that might enhance our lives, including artificial intelligence, biofeedback, brain-to-computer interfaces, and brain-enhancing implants.

In addition to writing The Sorcery Code series and Mind Dimensions series, Dima has collaborated on a number of romance novels with his wife, Anna Zaires. The Krinar Chronicles, an erotic science fiction series, is an international bestseller and has been recognized by the likes of Marie Claire and Woman’s Day. If you like erotic romance with a unique plot, please feel free to check it out, especially since the first book in the series (Close Liaisons) is available for free everywhere.

Anna Zaires is the love of his life and a huge inspiration in every aspect of his writing. She definitely adds her magic touch to anything Dima creates, and the books would not be the same without her. Dima’s fans are strongly encouraged to learn more about Anna and her work at http://www.annazaires.com.

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Deadly Illusions by Robert Brown is $1.30!

I just spent way too much money on junk food. But what else is new?

Like many other days, I have a book for you that’s under $2! Who doesn’t love cheap books? This one, however, is a little different.

 

Published in 2017, this book holds a rating of 3.9 stars across 38 reviews on Goodreads.

148 pages
Published November 4th 2017

It’s description claims that: “Cael Adler is a private detective with an eye for detail and a steady knack for solving complex cases. But when his dinner date with the stunning Kelly is interrupted, by the discovery of part of a murdered woman’s torso, he doesn’t at first realize that his skills will be tested to their limits.

“Called to remote corner of Epping Forest by his friend and Metropolitan Police veteran Tyler Easton, Cael is shocked at what he finds. But worse follows, when it becomes apparent that the murder is just the beginning of something much bigger and that a pitiless serial killer is at large.

“As the two men begin to unravel the horrific crimes they close in on the predator and his ruthless agenda. But all is not as it seems, and the case soon becomes more personal for Tyler, when his wife becomes the next target of the madman.

“Lured to a theater on the pretext of attending a show, Samantha Easton comes face to face with the killer and it’s up to Cael and Tyler to stop him. But will they solve the clues fast enough to save her from a horrific end?”

 

Doesn’t that sound like it could be a good mystery? And you know I love a good book.

If you’d like a copy, you can grab one here.

 

Thanks for reading! Let me know what you think of this in the comments.

Hope you have a good night!

 

Out Of Time (The Dream Traveler #1) by Ernesto H. Lee is under $2

Anyone else excited about the new Blair Witch game coming out? I think that would make an AMAZING comic book.

 

On another note, I have another cheap book to share with you all! This time, it’s Out of Time by Ernesto H. Lee, a science fiction mystery novel about time travelling.

Published in August of 2018, this book holds a rating of 3.8 stars across 49 reviews, which is a pretty good rating. I think that gives me hope that I’ll actually like this book, because it does sound really interesting.

 

292 pages
Published August 26th 2018

It’s description claims that: “Out Of Time, is the first in a series of Novels from author Ernesto H Lee, and is the first part of a two part story that introduces the reader to Detective Sean McMillan. McMillan has a unique ability to travel back in time through the medium of his dreams, so when he is assigned to a cold case team, finding evidence and solving crimes should be a foregone conclusion.

“However, Sean soon discovers that changes to the past to influence the future can have unexpected and deadly consequences. The past is not the past, the future is not set and nothing in life is certain. Open your mind and join the ‘Dream Traveler’ on his journey back to the past.”

 

If you’d like to grab a copy for yourself, you can here.

 

Thanks for reading! Have you read this book, or do you want to? Let me know in the comments! Hope you have a good night.

The Dreaming Tree by Matthew Mather Review

On the outside, this book seems exciting. After being decapitated in a car accident, Roy is now one of the world’s first full body transplant patients. This means that his head has literally been grafted onto someone else’s body. His life is now wave after wave of phantom pain, and is filled with someone else’s body odour. Well that and walking blackouts.

 

3/5 Stars 352 Pages Published: July 9th 2019 by Blackstone Publishing

Unfortunately this is just something that wasn’t for me. Even though the story was gory and mysterious, I felt like I just wasn’t into it by the end. It starts out like any other scary transplant story, meaning the patient starts to take on characteristics from the person that gave them the organ or body or whatever, but just ended up being a little too predictable. I liked the family drama, I didn’t really expect that to be in this book.

 

I thought that even though officer Delta Devlin had a really cool name, her side of the story wasn’t very memorable until the end. Overall, I can see this being a popular novel, but like I said before, it’s just not for me. I hoped it would be, and I thought it was interesting, but this isn’t my new favourite book. I do like the cover though.

 

This book is available here.

Here’s a link to the author’s Twitter, if you’d like to follow them.

Thanks for reading!

Necropolis Pd by Nathan Sumsion Review

Necropolis Pd by Nathan Sumsion 5/5 Stars 412 pages
Published April 2nd 2019 by Parvus Press LLC

Do you ever wonder what the afterlife is like? Well this book can give you a little hint of what may be to come. Inside however, isn’t the afterlife you would expect. This one is in a realm of everything that’s been forgotten, filled with the undead, the vampires, ghosts, and maybe even demons. But what would happen if a living person were thrust into this world and expected to continue on living? You’ll just have to check out this book to find out.

 

Following a man named Jacob Greene in the first person viewpoint, he can’t get the memory of a dead body pinning him to the ground out of his head. It all started three months ago in a series of events that you wouldn’t usually think of leading up to what it does. After hitting the snooze button, he was hit with an unexpected wave of traffic, and in a crazy twist of events ended up taking a shortcut right to a motor vehicle accident. After that, his life was changed forever.

 

You can’t change the past, and alcohol definitely doesn’t help that. After being hunted down, he finds out that the man following him isn’t trying to hurt him, but actually has a job offer for him. Turns out, he’s the newest member of the Necropolis Police Department, and they need him to help them solve a murder in a city of dead people, where they’re not supposed to be able to die.  There, he meets a floating green girl named Elizabeth Greystone, or more simply known as Ms. Greystone. Before he knows what’s happening, he’s given a gun and a badge and sent on his way.

 

I wasn’t sure what I was expecting when I began this book, but I knew it was going to be something I liked. Lately I’ve become a big fan of these interesting supernatural police mysteries, when I read the description I just had to check it out. I love how real and gritty Jacob is, he really reacts to things like any of us would, but he definitely makes the best of it and kind of rolls with the punches. I really appreciated that about him, and that’s why I think he’s my favourite character. The world that he’s pushed into is so interesting and unique, I was hoping for an exciting cliff hanger, but I think that it wrapped up really nicely. Overall, I really enjoyed reading this.

 

The book is available here.

 

Thanks for reading!

The Subjugate by Amanda Bridgeman Review

The Subjugate by Amanda Bridgeman 5/5 Stars 400 pages
Published November 6th 2018 by Angry Robot

If you’re looking for a new detective novel to fall in love with, you have to read “The Subjugate” by Amanda Bridgeman. Set in the near future, the world has become even more tech obsessed than it is now. People don’t interact with each other. There are tech junkies, who are just like regular junkies, but will do anything for a new app or some screen time. And in the middle of it all, there is a town called Bountiful who will do anything to keep the devil, aka technology, out of their lives. That is, until a serial killer pops up.

 

Nothing like this has ever happened before to the people of Bountiful, though they have a very special facility beside their town. Called the Solme Complex, it’s a building for rehabilitating hardened criminals, mostly rapists and murderers, and essentially lobotomizing them with chemicals and turning them from subjugates, to serene’s. People with supposedly no bad feelings, and a fully erased past. They are known by their silver “halo” that rests around the back of their heads, and their very quiet and passive temperament.

 

Following Detective Salvi Brentt and her partner Mitch, the two find themselves being called into Bountiful to find a very unusual body. A young girl has been found face down in her kitchen, strangled to death with the word “pure” cut into her. Most of the book is the two detectives interviewing people in their town and trying to figure out what really happened while the bodies begin to pile up.

 

I loved this book because it was a slow burn, and that’s very unusual to me. I really enjoyed trying to figure out what was going on while the book was going, and still being completely shocked by the ending. The characters were very realistic, they dealt with their own problems and the new ones that began to pop up around them very well, and way better than I would be able to handle them. The technology in the book was also really interesting to learn about, and the entire thing was written in such a way that I could imagine it and get right into the story very easily.

 

Overall I loved reading this, and I think you should check it out if you get the chance. If you love detective novels and serial killers set in the future, you’re going to love this one. The book is available here, and here’s a link to the author’s Twitter.

 

Thanks for reading!

Machine City (Detective Barnes #2) by Scott J. Holliday Review

Machine City (Detective Barnes #2) by Scott J. Holliday 5/5 Stars 300 pages
Published October 16th 2018 by Thomas & Mercer

When I saw that this book was coming out, I knew I had to read it. I was really excited, because I absolutely loved the first book. While this one is different, I’d like to think it’s just as good but in a different way. Not as violent but still action packed and mysterious. I’m glad to get to know John Barnes all over again.

This time, there’s a missing girl. John Barnes is now a former homicide detective, married with a child, working as a construction worker. He’s been surgically repaired after the events of the last book, and the voices in his head have gone quiet for quite a while now. He has a son named Richard. It’s been six years since the last book.

His new life is rocked, however, when three police officers show up on his doorstep to give him an envelope and ask him to come back on the now outlawed machine, as a favour. Of course, he’s reluctant at first. But then he goes to get a pizza, and gets wrapped back up in it all once again. His wife isn’t happy. It messed his head up bad last time, and she doesn’t want to have to go through that again. But he knows what he has to do will probably save the missing girl and everyone surrounding her.

Desperate to finish an old scavenger hunt from his brother, he begins to unravel things in the world he didn’t know were possible. A monster, dressed as a man. He begins hearing a strange new voice, who only pushes him to go on the machine more and more, to figure out the mystery. And I loved every single page of it.

The characters are amazing, and they always have been. That’s not something that has changed. What has changed, however, is that they’re not looking for a serial killer this time. No more going into victims minds, hunting down the person that killed them. This time, he’s searching for a live victim. The story itself was breathtaking, and I couldn’t put it down once I started it. It’s everything I wanted it to be and more. I could really clearly see the surroundings they were in, and that’s always something I enjoy.

Overall I absolutely loved this book, and I can’t wait to see what the author comes up with next. I know that this is probably the end of this series, but it definitely makes me want to check out the other books by the same author. If you love exciting and dark mysteries that suck you in immediately, you’re going to love this book. While I don’t think you absolutely have to read the first book to understand this one, I think you’ll definitely enjoy this book more if you do. It’s available here, and here’s a link to the author’s Twitter.

 

Thanks for reading!