Tag: Contemporary Horror

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Blog Tours book reviews Emma's Anticipated Treasures

BLOG TOUR: The Howling (Annie Jackson Mysteries, Book 3) by Michael J. Malone

Published September 11th, 2025 by Orenda Books
Mystery, Suspense, Psychological Thriller, Crime Series, Gothic Ficiton, Contemporary Horror

Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for this nerve-shredding gothic mystery. Thank you to Anne at Random Things Tours for the invitation to take part, and to Orenda books for sending me a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

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ABOUT THE BOOK:

Annie and Lewis search for the son of an old enemy, who may hold the key to ending Annie’s curse. Their investigations lead back to the past, uncovering something that could destroy the most powerful people in the country. The compelling, chilling next instalment in the Annie Jackson Mysteries series…

‘A tense, creepy page-turner’ Ian Rankin

‘Spine-tinglingly thrilling with an extraordinary sense of place’ Caro Ramsay

‘A master storyteller at the very top of his game … mesmeric and suspenseful’ Marion Todd

‘The past echoing in the present. A whisper of the supernatural. Strong characters. Evocative prose … What is there not to like? Impressive’ Douglas Skelton

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Two men, centuries apart, dream of being a wolf. 

One is burned at the stake.

Another is locked in a psychiatric hospital for most of his life.

And Annie Jackson is about to find out why…

Vowing once again to remove herself from society, Annie is back living alone in her little cottage by the shores of a loch. But when an old enemy – now locked up in a high security hospital – comes calling, begging her to find the son that she was forced to give up at the age of seventeen, Annie is tempted out of seclusion. The missing boy holds the key to ending Annie’s curse, and he may be the only chance that both she and Lewis have of real happiness.

Annie and Lewis begin an investigation that takes them back to the past, a time etched in Scottish folklore, a period of history that may just be repeating itself. And what they uncover could destroy not just some of the most powerful people in the country, who will stop at nothing to protect their wealth and their secrets, but also Annie’s life, and everything she holds dear…

Dark, immersive, and utterly compelling, The Howling is a story of deception, betrayal, and misplaced power, and a reminder that the most public of faces can hide the darkest of hearts…

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MY REVIEW:

Michael J. Malone has knocked it out of the park yet again with this darkly atmospheric and nerve-shredding thriller where ghosts of the past echo in the present and dark secrets threaten to destroy some of the country’s most powerful men. Two men separated by centuries dream of being a wolf. One of them is burned at the stake. Whilst the other is locked in a psychiatric hospital. And Annie Jackson is about to find out why as she searches for the son of her enemy in this gripping gothic mystery. 

The Annie Jackson Mysteries have quickly become one of the highlights of my reading year. I know as the leaves start to turn and the cardigans get chunkier that I will be reading a chilling and sinister story that will have me on the edge of my seat. The Howling lives up to that reputation and Malone has delivered another first-rate thriller. Told by multiple narrators in multiple timelines, the story transports us between 1709, 1979 and 2024, bringing both past and present to life in vivid detail. It’s a complex, intricate and urgent mystery, full of curses, sinister suspense and whispers of the paranormal that is woven into every facet of the story and we get a real sense of the loneliness, isolation, fear and torment that those affected by them endure. As always, Malone’s storytelling is outstanding, while a strong sense of place draws you in as he expertly intertwines the multiple timelines, dropping clues like breadcrumbs throughout the narrative for us to follow. I had some predictions but my jaw dropped when the truth was finally revealed. 

One of my favourite things about a series is revisiting characters I love, and Annie and Lewis are two of my favourite, and probably most original, protagonists. I love their strong bond and the way they work together to solve the crimes. They are strong, memorable and richly drawn, as are all of the characters in this book. It is easy to like and root for them while Malone also delivers villains, like the chilling Sylvia, who will make your skin crawl.

So, if you’re looking for an unsettling, heart-stopping and immersive mystery this spooky season, pick up this book. It could be read as a standalone, however I highly recommend reading the others in the series as not only is what happens woven into this story, but they are magnificent reads.

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✰

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Michael Malone is a prize-winning poet and author who was born and brought upin the heart of Burns’ He has published over 200 poems in literary magazines throughout the UK, including New Writing Scotland, Poetry Scotland and Markings. Blood Tears, his bestselling debut novel won the Pitlochry Prize from the Scottish Association of Writers. Other published work includes: Carnegie’s Call; A Taste for Malice; The Guillotine Choice; Beyond the Rage; The Bad Samaritan; and Dog Fight. His psychological thriller, A Suitable Lie, was a number-one bestseller, and the critically acclaimed House of Spines and After He Died soon followed suit. Since then, he’s written two further thought-provoking, exquisitely written psychological thrillers In the Absence of Miracles and A Song of Isolation, cementing his position as a key proponent of Tartan Noir and an undeniable talent. A former Regional Sales Manager (Faber & Faber) he has also worked as an IFA and a bookseller. Michael lives in Ayr.

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BUY THE BOOK:

Orenda Books | Waterstones* | Bookshop.org* | Amazon*
*These are affiliate links

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Thanks for reading, Bibliophiles xxxx

Please check out the reviews from the other bloggers taking part in the blog tour.

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Audio Books book reviews Emma's Anticipated Treasures

BOOK REVIEW: The Book of Witching by C. J. Cooke

Published October 10th, 2024 by Harper Collins UK
Thriller, Historical Fiction, Gothic Fiction, Horror Fiction, Suspense, Supernatural Fiction, Contemporary Horror

Welcome to my bookish thoughts on this eerie, haunting and addictive gothic mystery. Thank you to Harper Fiction for sending me a proof copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

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ABOUT THE BOOK:

‘Chilling and beautifully written … C.J. Cooke’s finest novel yet’ Emilia Hart

‘A spellbinding thriller’ Scots Magazine

Four hundred years separate them.

One book binds them.

Glasgow 2024: Clem waits by her daughter’s hospital bed. Erin was found on an idyllic beach in Fynhallow Bay, Orkney with catastrophic burns and only one memory: her name is Nyx.

But how did she get these burns? And how did her boyfriend end up burned alive?

Orkney 1594: accused of witchcraft, Alison Balfour awaits trial. The punishment? To be burned alive.

Separated by four hundred years but bound by the Book of Witching, two women stand imperilled. Can they unlock a centuries-old mystery? And will Fynhallow Bay give up its secrets before someone else dies?

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MY REVIEW:

Two women, four hundred years apart, are bound by a dark and mysterious book: the book of witching in this unnerving gothic thriller. 

The story is told in dual timelines, moving between Glasgow in the present day and Orkney in 1594. In the present, Clem’s daughter, Erin, is hospitalised with catastrophic burns after being found on a beach in Fynhallow Bay. At first she’s unconscious, but when Erin comes around, she doesn’t remember her parents or who she is and insists that her name is Nyx. 1594, Alison is accused of witchcraft and awaiting trial. If convicted, she will be burnt alive. Can she prove her innocence to people who only want to hear she’s guilty? 

In the last few years C. J. Cooke has solidified herself as one of the Queens of the Gothic Thriller, even counting Stephen King among her fans. Her books have become a Halloween staple for me so I was determined to squeeze in her latest offering, The Book of Witching, before October was over. Eerily atmospheric, witchy, malevolent and haunting, I inhaled this in a day, completely transfixed by this spellbinding tale. Spectacularly written, perfectly plotted, intricately interwoven and with vivid imagery, she held me in her thrall, my heart in my throat the entire time I was reading. And that ending! Omg. I still have chills. 

Cooke’s meticulous research is evident throughout and she doesn’t shy away from the grisly torture that those accused of witchcraft was subjected to. The lengths these powerful men went to as they tried to force Alison to confess were horrific and even included the torture and murder of people they knew were innocent to try and reach their goal. I could understand why women falsely confessed during the witch trials when they were subjected to such awful torture and it made me angry to think of everything they went through.

Dark, mystical, sinister and addictive, I highly recommend this magnificent bewitching tale. 

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✮

*I listened to this on Bookbeat. Click here to get 60 days listening free with my affiliate link*

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

C J Cooke (Carolyn Jess-Cooke) lives in Glasgow with her husband and four children. C J Cooke’s works have been published in 23 languages and have won many awards. She holds a PhD in Literature from the Queen’s University of Belfast and is currently Senior Lecturer in Creative Writing at the University of Glasgow, where she researches creative writing interventions for mental health. Two of her books are currently optioned for film

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BUY THE BOOK:

Bookshop.org* | Waterstones* | Amazon*
*These are affiliate links

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Thanks for reading, Bibliophiles xxxx

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book reviews Emma's Anticipated Treasures

PUBLICATION DAY REVIEW: Blackwater I: The Flood by Michael McDowell

Published September 5th, 2024 by Doubleday UK
Gothic Fiction, Horror Ficiton, Supernatural Fiction, Southern Gothic, Historical Fiction, Family Sagas, Contemporary Horror

Happy Publication Day to this intriguing gothic story. Thank you to Milly at Doubleday for sending me a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

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ABOUT THE BOOK:

Discover the gothic horror phenomenon that is sweeping across Europe, with over 2 million copies sold

‘RIVETING, TERRIFYING…JUST ABSOLUTELY GREAT’ STEPHEN KING

As the dark and menacing waters of the local river submerge Perdido, a small town in the south of Alabama, the Caskeys – a family of rich landowners – must confront the tide of damage caused by the flood. Led by Mary-Love, the powerful matriarch, and by Oscar, her devoted son, the family must pick itself back up. But what they haven’t anticipated is the sudden appearance of Elinor Dammert – a mysterious but seductive young woman with a troubling past. Her sole ambition appears to be to infiltrate the very heart of the Caskey clan…

‘Beyond any trace of a doubt, one of the absolutely best writers of horror’ Peter Straub

‘One of the genre’s most underrated writers’ Poppy Z. Brite

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MY REVIEW:

The Blackwater Saga by Beetlejuice writer Michael McDowell was first published as a series of six volumes in 1983. With fans that include King of Horror Stephen King, it gained a cult following and has recently been gaining in popularity in Europe. Today, it is finally published in the UK and I was thrilled when Doubleday offered me the chance to read the first volume in the series.

The Flood opens with a very haunting and intriguing vibe that had me excited for what I was about to read. Set in Perdido, Alabama, it tells the story of Elinor Dammert, a mysterious young woman who arrives with the dark, menacing floodwater that damages the smalltown. People wonder how she survived the high waters but quickly dismiss their concerns, quickly seduced by the shcoolteachers’ charms. Everyone except for Mary-Love Caskey, matriarch of one of Perdidos wealthiest three families, who takes an instant dislike to Elinor. The conflict between the two women provided much added tension and provided one person who was actually questioning Elinor as everyone else seemed to blindly accept her. This hold she seemed to have over everyone added to the eerie vibes, as did her uncanny ability to make things happen or do things that should be possible. People do question this, but brush it aside or believe it to be kismet/a miracle. But not Mary-Love. She is suspicious of Elinor and wants her out of her town. But as her son, Oscar, has fallen in love with Elinor, that isn’t going to happen anytime soon. 

I enjoyed this quick and readable novella. However there were times it felt a little hollow and I would have liked more of the supernatural element as this is billed as a horror. It sets the scene for book two really well and I think I will pick up the rest of the series at some point as I am intrigued to see what happens next. 

Rating: ✮✮✮.5

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Michael McDowell was born June 1, 1950 in Enterprise, Alabama and attended public schools in southern Alabama until 1968. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in English from Harvard, and in 1978 he was awarded his Ph.D. in English and American Literature from Brandeis.

His seventh novel written and first to be sold, The Amulet, was published in 1979 and would be followed by over thirty additional volumes of fiction written under his own name or the pseudonyms Nathan Aldyne, Axel Young, Mike McCray, and Preston Macadam. His notable books include the Southern Gothic horror novel The Elementals (1981), the serial novel Blackwater (1983), which was first published in a series of six paperback volumes, and the trilogy of “Jack & Susan” books.

By 1985 he was writing screenplays for television, including episodes for a number of anthology series such as Tales from the Darkside, Amazing Stories, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, and Tales from the Crypt. He went on to write the screenplay for Tim Burton’s Beetlejuice (1988) and The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993), as well as the script for Thinner (1996). McDowell died December 27, 1999 from AIDS-related illness. Tabitha King, wife of author Stephen King, completed an unfinished McDowell novel, Candles Burning, which was published in 2006.

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BUY THE BOOK:

Bookshop.org* | Waterstones* | Amazon*
*These are affiliate links

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Thanks for reading, Bibliophiles xxx

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Audio Books book reviews

AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: The Turn of the Key by Ruth Ware

Published August 8th, 2019 by Harvill Secker
Thriller, Mystery, Suspense, Psychological Thriller, Contemporary Horror

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SYNOPSIS:

IT WAS THE DREAM JOB. IT WOULD BECOME HER WORST NIGHTMARE.

‘So clever and original . . . from the first gripping page to the last shocking twist’ ERIN KELLY, author of He Said/She Said

‘Ruth Ware just gets better and better. The Turn of the Key is her most compelling and addictive to date; I read this in a two sitting frenzy, barely able to turn the pages fast enough’ Lisa Jewell, author of The People Upstairs

When Rowan stumbles across the advert, it seems like too good an opportunity to miss: a live-in nanny position, with a very generous salary. And when she arrives at Heatherbrae House, she is smitten by the luxurious ‘smart’ home fitted out with all modern conveniences by a picture-perfect family.

What she doesn’t know is that she’s stepping into a nightmare – one that will end with a child dead and her in cell awaiting trial for murder.

She knows she’s made mistakes. But she’s not guilty – at least not of murder. Which means someone else is…

‘Will hold you captive until the brilliant ending’ SHARI LAPENA, author of Someone We Know

Full of chilling menace and sinister secrets, The Turn of the Key is a gripping modern-day haunted house novel that will keep you reading through the night.

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MY REVIEW:

When Rowan gets a job as a nanny working at Heatherbrae House she thinks it’s the answer to all her problems: a generous salary for a live-in position at a luxurious house. But unbeknownst to Rowan, this dream house will turn out to be her worst nightmare – one that ends with her in prison accused of the murder of one of the very children she was hired to take care of. But is she guilty?

After having this book on my shelves for almost four years I finally got around to reading it, opting to listen on audiobook when I wasn’t feeling up to reading a physical book. I’d read some reviews that raved about the audiobook version and they were totally right! Unsettling, taut and addictive, I was hooked from the first page and couldn’t stop listening. Whenever I wasn’t listening I was thinking about it, desperate to know the truth about Rowan’s guilt or innocence. 

The story is told in the form of letters Rowan is writing to Mr. Wrexham, the man she hopes will take on her case and help prove her innocence. She begins by begging for his help and then takes us back to the start of the story, when she first saw the job advert in the newspaper, and then taking us through every event leading up to the day she says she found the child dead. It is a tense and ominous story, full of forbidding as we try to guess who died, what happened, and what is the secret that Rowan admits to hiding? I’ll admit, many of my guesses were way off, and I loved that what I did get right I hadn’t been able to predict until just before the reveal, leaving me on the edge of my seat from beginning to end.

This is my second time reading a Ruth Ware book and my favourite so far. Her skillful storytelling and evocative imagery had me on tenterhooks and made me feel like I was right there alongside Rowan. The characters were brilliant; Rowan was  easy to relate to and her young charges broke my heart and frustrated me in equal measure, especially Maddie. Heatherbrae House is like a character in its own right and looms large over every page. The idea of a whole house run by an app makes me uneasy, and this modern fear merges with a more traditional horror to create an inescapable malevolent atmosphere. But what I liked best about this audiobook was the narrator whose animated narration transported me into the story and was so unnerving in places that my blood ran cold. I can still hear that terrifying ‘Creek. Creek’ *shivers*

Compelling, sinister and utterly brilliant, The Turn of the Key is a must-read for any thriller fan, though I’d definitely recommend listening to it on audio for added atmosphere if you can. 

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✮

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MEET THE AUTHOR:

Ruth Ware is an international number one bestseller. Her thrillers In a Dark, Dark Wood, The Woman in Cabin 10, The Lying Game, The Death of Mrs Westaway, The Turn of the Key, One by One and The It Girl have appeared on bestseller lists around the world, including the Sunday Times and New York Times. Her books have been optioned for both film and TV, and she is published in more than 40 languages. Ruth lives near Brighton with her family.

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BUY THE BOOK:

Waterstones* | Amazon* | Bookshop.org*

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Thanks for reading Bibliophiles xxxx

*All purchase links are affiliate links