Author: J.W. Donley

Epeolatry Book Review: The Wind Through the Keyhole by Stephen King

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Title: The Wind Through the Keyhole
Author: Stephen King
Genre: Horror, Sci Fi, Fantasy
Publisher: Scribner
Release Date: April 2012

Synopsis: Stephen King returns to the rich landscape of Mid-World, the spectacular territory of the Dark Tower fantasy saga that stands as his most beguiling achievement.

Roland Deschain and his ka-tetJake, Susannah, Eddie, and Oy, the billy-bumbler—encounter a ferocious storm just after crossing the River Whye on their way to the Outer Baronies. As they shelter from the howling gale, Roland tells his friends not just one strange story but two . . . and in so doing, casts new light on his own troubled past.

In his early days as a gunslinger, in the guilt-ridden year following his mother’s death, Roland is sent by his father to investigate evidence of a murderous shape-shifter, a “skin-man” preying upon the population around Debaria. Roland takes charge of Bill Streeter, the brave but terrified boy who is the sole surviving witness to the beast’s most recent slaughter. Only a teenager himself, Roland calms the boy and prepares him for the following day’s trials by reciting a story from the Magic Tales of the Eld that his mother often read to him at bedtime. “A person’s never too old for stories,” Roland says to Bill. “Man and boy, girl and woman, never too old. We live for them.” And indeed, the tale that Roland unfolds, the legend of Tim Stoutheart, is a timeless treasure for all ages, a story that lives for us.

King began the Dark Tower series in 1974; it gained momentum in the 1980s; and he brought it to a thrilling conclusion when the last three novels were published in 2003 and 2004. The Wind Through the Keyhole is sure to fascinate avid fans of the Dark Tower epic. But this novel also stands on its own for all readers, an enchanting and haunting journey to Roland’s world and testimony to the power of Stephen King’s storytelling magic.

~from first edition jacket

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Epeolatry Book Review: Reunion Special by Carson Winter

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Title: Reunion Special
Author: Carson Winter
Genre: Horror
Publisher: Independent
Release Date: 14th October, 2020

Synopsis: No one’s ever seen “Deserted”. But people talk about it.

The “reality television event that never was” crashed before it ever took off. Now, all that survives is snippets—images of contestants staring off into space, the heads of snakes peering out from the backs of their throats. Eighteen years later, host Edgar Reyes invites them back to the island for a reunion special. But as the truth begins to slither out, the host and contestants question who’s really pulling their strings.

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Epeolatry Book Review: Below by Kev Harrison

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Title: Below
Author: Kev Harrison
Genre: Horror
Publisher: Silver Shamrock Publishing
Release Date: 17th August, 2021

Synopsis: Nick has revered his grandfather his entire life. The absent hero, his namesake, buried alive in his final act of courage an ocean and thousands of miles away. Jess has outgrown her status as an all-action social media celebrity and the endless demands that come with it.

Adventure Travel TV has thrown this unlikely duo together, promising Jess the launchpad she craves and Nick the chance to tell his grandfather’s story first-hand, in the newly uncovered mine that still holds his remains from the twilight days of the gold rush. Is it a dream come true or a nightmare as someone or something stirs…BELOW.

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Epeolatry Book Review: Splinter and Other Stories by Alex Wolfgang

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Title: Splinter and Other Stories
Author: Alex Wolfgang
Genre: Horror
Publisher: Independent
Release Date: 31st May, 2020

Synopsis: Splinter and Other Stories, the debut horror collection by Alex Wolfgang, follows the surreal struggles and fractured hopes of its ill-fated characters.

Two lovestruck travelers form a sinister bond. A man is given the power to liberate prisoners from their mysterious captors. A woman is plagued by visions of her childhood trauma. An alien entity discovers its true nature – to the detriment of a small community.

These ten short stories will horrify, devastate, and haunt you as they untangle their twisted realities.

There’s nothing like reading a complete story in one sitting from start to end that leaves me feeling dread, disgust, shock, and/or amazement. And so, I think horror works best in short form, and I’ve had many agree.

Alex Wolfgang does a stupendous job delivering on all of these feelings throughout Splinter and Other Stories. Whether you’re looking for a gross out (‘Mandibles’), or a sci-fi thriller (‘God of the Complex’), or even something in the vein of Weird fiction (‘Vegetation’, ‘Splinter’, ‘Travel Bug’), it’s all here.

Based on the range of Alex’s freshman collection, I know he has an awesome career in horror ahead of him. I’ll purchase anything he puts out in the future.

 out of 5 ravens.

Available from Amazon.

Epeolatry Book Review: Lambs Among Wolves by Russell James

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Title: Lambs Among Wolves
Author: Russell James
Genre: Catholic Horror/Thriller
Publisher: Silver Shamrock Publishing
Release Date: 6th July, 2021

Synopsis: Evil may soon consume mankind, if the demons have their way.

After the death of her father, young Cyndi Fisher travels to Paris to meet the grandfather she never knew. That man turns out to be Father Jack Cahill, a renegade exorcist who was unaware he’d fathered a child before taking his vows.

Cyndi is soon drawn into Father Jack’s world, where demons from Hell are possessing humans and robbing Europe’s churches of sacred relics. From the cathedrals of Paris, through the graveyards of France, and into the sewers of Rome, they confront the possessed, battle risen corpses, and fight gang members sent to stop them.

They uncover a plot to set Satan free upon the Earth, but stopping it seems impossible. Demons are always one step ahead of them, and each manifestation is more powerful than the last. Stopping Satan’s return will take courage and faith. Will an aged priest and an agnostic teen have enough of either?

I know this is a strange thing to say about a horror novel, but Lambs Among Wolves was a nice cozy read. You know, like something you’d spend an afternoon reading in a folding chair next to the lake.

Years ago, I read Angels and Demons by Dan Brown. Sucked in by the history and religious intrigue mixed with a heavy dose of suspense, I absolutely loved it (don’t judge me!). Russell James’s Lambs Among Wolves tickled those same corners of my brain.

But there’s a taste of something extra here that Brown didn’t include—imagine if The DaVinci Code and The Exorcist had a baby. This would be it! Lambs Among Wolves combines two of my guilty pleasures: the pseudo history of National Treasure (that fun movie with Nic Cage) and Catholic/Possession based thriller.

I would’ve loved for the author to ramp up the horror aspects a touch more. Much of the story seemed fairly tame with only a hint of the absolute dread and shock that I look for in my favorite horror reading. But the heavily researched locations and Church history made up for this. James truly has a love for the milieu of the novel.

Overall, Lambs Among Wolves is fun ride that with a steady pace. Definitely check this one out.

out of 5 ravens.

Available from Amazon.

Epeolatry Book Review: The Rules of the Road by C.B. Jones

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Title: The Rules of the Road 
Author: C.B. Jones
Genre: Horror
Publisher: Ionosphere Press
Release Date: 24th August, 2021

Synopsis:

Do you ever wonder why it is you sometimes see a single shoe on the side of the road? What happens if you don’t hold your breath when you pass a cemetery? Why should you pay careful attention to that strange speed limit sign, the one that reads 67 MPH?

When an amateur journalist encounters a mysterious radio program while driving alone one late night, he is presented with a set of instructions with potentially fatal consequences. After escaping with his life, obsession takes hold and he is determined to find out who is behind the broadcast and who else it has affected. His investigation leads him to speak with travelers and truckers, vagabonds and vacationers, models and rock stars, each with their own sinister encounter with the strange program. His search draws him into a world of deadly discovery from which there is no turning back.

So settle down and buckle up. Stay alert for the signs to survive. Do not adjust that dial. Prepare to be a lucky—or unlucky—listener to “The Rules of The Road.” What will the static settle on for you?

Have you ever stumbled upon some random AM radio station while driving through the middle of nowhere? Extra points if you were traveling along a long desolate road in the middle of the night. Usually, it’s just some lower power signal of a fire and brimstone preacher, or some local sports talk broadcast. But there are always urban legends of some strange recording of ominous noises or some pirate signal broadcasting some guy ranting about chem trails and the secret cabal of lunch ladies across the Midwest.

Well, Rules of the Road by C.B. Jones stirs up those same feelings of unease through a collection of short stories wrapped in one framing story, a la Clive Barker’s Books of Blood. With each story you get another piece of the puzzle, another clue as to what is going with this strange radio broadcast sharing, ‘Rules of the Road’, which, if you don’t follow, may have deadly consequences. I’ll give you one example. If you come across a single shoe lying beside the road, you must stop and place one of your own socks within. What happens if you don’t do this? Probably something bad, really bad. So, why take a chance? What’s one less sock?

This book is an unsettling trip through the horrors of modern Americana. Discover the things that scare those who call the road home, like missed cellphone calls, social media, and the loss of self, Geo Metros (super creepy), mysterious phone numbers on bathroom stalls, and the ever-pernicious boiled peanuts!

My personal favorites from this are ‘Landslide’ and ‘What’s Your Name?’ Both take wonderfully unexpected turns.

So, if you like books similar to Brotherhood of the Wheel by R.S. Belcher or the Lost Signals anthology edited by Max Booth III, be sure to check out this new release from up-and-coming horror author C.B. Jones.

out of 5 ravens.

Available from Amazon.

Epeolatry Book Review: Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

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Title: Mexican Gothic
Author: Silvia Moreno-Garcia
Genre: Horror
Publisher: Del Ray
Release Date: 15th June, 2021

Synopsis: After receiving a frantic letter from her newly-wed cousin begging for someone to save her from a mysterious doom, Noemí Taboada heads to High Place, a distant house in the Mexican countryside. She’s not sure what she will find—her cousin’s husband, a handsome Englishman, is a stranger, and Noemí knows little about the region.   

Noemí is also an unlikely rescuer: She’s a glamorous debutante, and her chic gowns and perfect red lipstick are more suited for cocktail parties than amateur sleuthing. But she’s also tough and smart, with an indomitable will, and she is not afraid: Not of her cousin’s new husband, who is both menacing and alluring; not of his father, the ancient patriarch who seems to be fascinated by Noemí; and not even of the house itself, which begins to invade Noemi’s dreams with visions of blood and doom. 

Her only ally in this inhospitable abode is the family’s youngest son. Shy and gentle, he seems to want to help Noemí, but might also be hiding dark knowledge of his family’s past. For there are many secrets behind the walls of High Place. The family’s once colossal wealth and faded mining empire kept them from prying eyes, but as Noemí digs deeper she unearths stories of violence and madness. 

And Noemí, mesmerized by the terrifying yet seductive world of High Place, may soon find it impossible to ever leave this enigmatic house behind.

I’m not sure what to expect going into this book. Mexican Gothic got a ton of positive press and was nominated for the 2020 Superior Achievement in a Novel Bram Stoker Award. But, I wasn’t interested at first. Not sure why. Then, after a little convincing from some friends (I did my best to avoid spoilers), I finally convinced myself to give it a try. I suggest that you readers do the same; go into this one blind. The less you know, the more you’ll enjoy.

But, if you do want a little taste of what’s in store, here’s what I have to say…

So, our protagonist, Noemi, travels to a remote estate in Mexico to check on her cousin. There, she meets the residents of the old family estate. Of course, the family’s fortune is haunted by a bloody past. What secrets hide beneath the deteriorating walls? Will Noemi save her cousin or get pulled into the intrigue herself? 

It’s a bit of a slow burn. Silvia (can I call her Silvia?) luxuriates in the gloomy descriptions of the spooky, and somewhat familiar, gothic settings. But once things start to wrap up, the end comes at a blistering pace.

Think Crimson Peak crossed with Haunting of Hill House and Dracula with a touch of horrifying moldy mansion. All of this is topped with a healthy dose of Hispanic culture.

I give this   out of 5 ravens.

Available from Amazon and Bookshop.

Epeolatry Book Review: Creation of Chaos, Vol III: 13 Nightmarish Visions by Pete Altieri

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Title: Creations of Chaos, Vol III: 13 Nightmarish Visions
Author: Pete Altieri
Genre: Horror, Short Story Collection
Publisher: Blunt Force Press
Release Date: June, 2021

Synopsis: A family gets together for their final Thanksgiving dinner and each person at the table wants someone else to die. A man wakes up drenched in blood in his girlfriend’s apartment with the police beating on the door and her corpse cooling in the bedroom. Four friends take a train ride that goes 666 miles an hour headfirst into an inferno. If an old, mute grave digger at an asylum weeps for the dead who have no one to mourn for them, who is crying in the cemetery at his funeral? What horrors are awakened when grave bells are ringing in the cemetery on the Day of the Dead? 

A chilling collection of 13 short stories of horror and suspense from author, Pete Altieri, includes the novella, A Dreadful Life. This also includes “October House”, and “Carnival of Atonement”, two previously published short stories with different endings.

I love a good collection of bone-chilling stories, and this one does not disappoint. Pete Altieri knows how to horrify, disgust, and shock. Some of the stories are ultra-gory hack and slash showcases, while others are wild ideas developed in new and exciting ways.

My favorite within the collection is “The 666 Express”, about a group of friends who are on a maiden train voyage which travels from Dallas to Denver in one hour. Coincidentally, the train runs 666 miles per hour along the rails at blistering speeds, and infernal shenanigans ensue.

Just like any other collection, some stories are hit or miss. But this one had more hits than most collections out there. You won’t regret one minute spent within the pages of Altieri’s horrifying yarns.

I give this horror-gem collection  out of 5 ravens

Available from Amazon and Bookshop.