Horror
Written by Kat Ellis
Contemporary, Horror, Mystery, Thriller
Published August 18th 2020
320 Pages
Thank you to Penguin Teen Australia
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★★★★☆
Welcome to Harrow Lake. Someone's expecting you.
Lola Nox is the daughter of a celebrated horror filmmaker, she thinks nothing can scare her.
But when her father is brutally attacked in their New York apartment, she's swiftly packed off to live with a grandmother she's never met in Harrow Lake, the eerie town where her father's most iconic horror movie was shot.
The locals are weirdly obsessed with the film that put their town on the map and there are strange disappearances, which the police seem determined to explain away.
And there's someone - or something - stalking her every move.
The more Lola discovers about the town, the more terrifying it becomes. Because Lola's got secrets of her own. And if she can't find a way out of Harrow Lake, they might just be the death of her.
Soirees, premières and receptions celebrate acclaimed filmmaker Nolan Nox. Behind the abrasive façade is an overbearing father, placing his professional livelihood above the wellbeing of his daughter. Apart from the occasional industry gathering, Lola Nox is a recluse, forbidden to leave their New York City apartment. Nolan reminding Lola of how her mother abandoned their family. Lola is looking for adventure and against Nolan's wishes, leaves the apartment only to return home to a horrifying crime scene. Nolan has been brutally wounded and while his life hangs in the balance, Lola is sent to live with her estranged grandmother in Harrow Lake, where Nolan produced his infamous cult film Nightjar.
Lola is an interesting character. She's likeable but it becomes apparent that she's a product of her environment, living her life according to Nolan's rules. Rules which aren't necessarily to keep her safe but to control her. As Nolan recovers in hospital from his injuries, Lola has been sent by her father's friend and assistant to her estranged grandmother's house in Harrow Lake. It just happens to be the twentieth anniversary of the Nightjar film release, with the community celebrating each year with a festival.
Lola's estranged grandmother's property is surrounded by a gnarly forest and under the thick canopy, residents whisper the urban legend of Mister Jitters roaming the forest searching for a Little Bird, the community offering teeth to an ancient tree in the forest to keep their families safe. Much weird indeed. Although Harrow Lake is eerily atmospheric, there's an overwhelming sense of wrongness. It's no wonder Lola's mother Lorelei was so eager to escape when she met Nolan and played the role of Little Bird in the original film.
The fairground is home to the carnival created for the Nightjar film, built amongst the landslide caused the mountain to collapse and bury the historical church in a sinkhole. Urban legend tells the story of Mr Jitters, a centuries old man who was said to have been buried alive and survived by cannibalism. The local folklore warns children of venturing into the forest or risk being captured by Mister Jitters. Mister Jitter's is the stuff of nightmares and even though the residents of Harrow Lake laugh it off as being superstitious, most of them believe something is lurking around the town.
Strange happenings are afoot friends. Lola's suitcase disappears and she's forced to wear her mother's Little Bird costumes. The likeness is uncanny to the point where even her elderly grandmother believes Lola is Lorelei. Lola is staying in her mother's room where jitterbugs line the shelves and tremble sporadically. It's creepy as hell and made my skin crawl. Lola is determined to unravel the mysteries of her mother, why she was adamant in leaving Harrow Lake and why did she return before abandoning her only child?
The most striking aspect of Harrow Lake is how the story unravels, a nonlinear narrative shared amongst the community as the history of Lorelei and their town is revealed. Unreliable narrators, those with alterative motives and those who are determined to safekeep the secrets of their strange, foreboding town. Kat Ellis has created a superb vintage horror that will enthral readers until the final page.
Written by Ellie Marney
Mature Young Adult, Thriller, Mystery
Published September 2020
400 Pages
Thank you to Allen & Unwin
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★★★★★
Interviewing convicted juvenile killers for the FBI leads Emma Lewis and Travis Bell on the hunt for a serial murderer who targets teenagers. A riveting young adult thriller that will keep readers on the edge of their seat from start to finish.
It's 1982, and the innovative FBI Behavioural Science section is breaking new ground. Emma Lewis and Travis Bell, two teenagers with valuable skills, are recruited to interview convicted juvenile killers for information on cold cases.
When they're drawn into an active case targeting teenagers, everything starts to unravel. Over Travis's objections, Emma becomes the conduit between the FBI and an incarcerated serial killer, nineteen year old Simon Gutmunsson, who is a super intelligent sociopath. And although Simon seems to be giving them the information they need to save lives, he's also an expert manipulator playing a very long game.
Can Emma and Travis stop a serial killer on the loose or will they fall victim themselves?
Eighteen year old Emma Lewis continues to endure the psychological trauma of being held captive, the sole survivor of man who abducted young women as wives. Now studying forensic psychology at University, Emma is about to embark on a landmark venture with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, adolescents recruited to interview adolescent sociopaths to help understand the psychological motivation of their crimes. Emma is a determined and resolute young woman, intelligent, perceptive and resilient. She's reluctant to join the Federal Behavioural Science Unit, tempted by the prospect of accelerating her education.
Travis Bell is the son of a decorated police offer, killed in the line of duty by a sociopath killer, now pursuing a career in law enforcement. Travis has been recruited by the FBI and alongside Emma, plans to make the most of the opportunity he's given to forge a career and honour his father's memory. Travis and Emma are strangers, brought together by circumstance but form a tentative and platonic friendship over their shared experience, Emma's abduction and Travis' father killed by Simon Gutmunsson. They share moments of attraction but their working relationship and budding friendship was lovely, seeing them trust one another without the complications of a romantic relationship. Both Travis and Emma are healing and given the circumstances of the investigation, I'm thankful their connection remained purely platonic.
Simon Gutmunsson, he's charismatic and under any other circumstances, even endearing. Ellie Marney created a likeable sociopath and I'm equally parts delighted and horrified. Simon is known as The Artist, he doesn't consider himself in the same lowly league as a sociopathic killer, he artfully killed his victims as a calling card, proud of his extracurricular activities. Simon is highly intelligent and curious about Emma, alluding to the current murderous spree by the unknown assailant. The FBI hope by understanding juvenile killers like Simon, they'll be able to profile and catch the current serial killer, using Emma and Travis at bait to see what Simon knows.
The killings are brutal. We're given a glimpse into the mind of the killer as he strings up his victims and performs ritualistic killings. It's terrifying and creates an incredibly urgent storyline, using the cryptic innuendo provided by Simon and applying his insights to the current, open case before the killer strikes again. Holy shit. None Shall Sleep is creepy, downright terrifying but balanced with moments of tenderness and a gentle and tentative friendship.
This is next level Marney, a little bit batshit, pee yourself while reading and jumping at shadows for the next three months. Outstanding!
Written by Kate Alice Marshall
Mystery, Paranormal, Horror
400 Pages
Published October 1st 2019
Thank you to Walker Books Australia
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Mystery, Paranormal, Horror
400 Pages
Published October 1st 2019
Thank you to Walker Books Australia
Add to Goodreads
Once a year, a road appears in the forest. And at the end of it, the ghost of Lucy Gallows beckons. Lucy’s game isn’t for the faint of heart. If you win, you escape with your life. But if you lose...
Sara’s sister disappeared one year ago and only Sara knows where she is. Becca went to find the ghost of Lucy Gallows and is trapped on her road. In the sleepy town of Briar Glen, Lucy’s road is nothing more than local lore. But Sara knows it’s real, and she’s going to find it. When Sara and her skeptical friends meet in the forest to search for Becca, the mysterious road unfurls before them. All they have to do is walk down it. But the path to Lucy is not of this world, and it has its own rules. Every mistake summons new horrors. Vengeful spirits and broken, angry creatures are waiting for them to slip, and no one is guaranteed safe passage. The only certainty is this: the road has a toll and it will be paid. Sara knows that if she steps onto the road, she might not come back. But Becca needs her. And Lucy is waiting.
Briar Glen is synonymous with the the name Lucy Gallows, a young woman that wandered into the forest and never returned. Her last known whereabouts was on a road to nowhere, being lead by an unknown male assailant. Throughout the years the fable may have interchanged but the instructions remain the same, find a partner, find a key, find the road.
On the eve of the anniversary of Lucy Gallow's disappearance, Sara Donoghue's adoptive sister Rebecca was lured into the fated fable, whispered conversations and a notebook left behind, evidence she planned to find fifteen year old Lucy. Sara has maintained hope that Sara is still alive, the police labelling the adolescent as a difficult young woman who disappeared with Zachary Kent, a young man she barely knew.
Although Rebecca was adopted as an infant, Sara Donoghue and sister Rebecca shared an everlasting friendship. Rebecca was the center of their universe, a group of friends who dissolved shortly after her disappearance, Sara has endured depression and isolation. Her journey to find her sister is harrowing, captivating and a breathtaking paranormal thriller that will captivate the imagination of readers until the final page.
Find a partner. Find a key. Find the road.
Atmospheric and haunting, Rules for Vanishing is told from the perspective of Sara Donoghue through a series of interviews, transcripts, eyewitness accounts and photographic evidence while Sara recollects her journey upon the once believed to be mythological road. The legend of Lucy Gallows has been idolised by the teens of Briar Glen since her disappearance, speculation that her brother killed her and left her to ruin on the forest floor the logical conclusion. What happened to Lucy has always been a mystery but those who believe in Lucy's story can hear the young woman calling for help, including Becca, according to her sister Sara. Sara refuses to accept that she ran away with her new boyfriend when Becca and Sara's best friend were clearly attracted to one another, only Anthony didn't believe in the local legend which left Becca to find someone who was willing to follow her onto the road.
Although Sara's self isolated after Becca's disappearance, her former group of mutual friends have come along for the ride. Disbelieving in the supernatural, I don't think anyone expected to have stumbled upon the road, now finding themselves in a strange and eerie purgatory between worlds, where darkness is no friend of the weary traveller and you must follow the rules to survive. Take a partner, hold their hand and under no circumstances should you leave the road. What ensues is a creepy as hell storyline that left me jumping at shadows and reading long into the night. Despite my better judgement and skyrocketing anxiety.
The travellers are a motley crew of characters, all varying degrees of unreliable so as a reader it's difficult to establish what's real and what has been created by the trauma of the situation or outright untruths. Regardless, it makes for a fascinating narrative that blends a contemporary storyline with urban legend, infused with paranormal elements and everything in between. Reminiscent of the Blair Witch Project and Small Spaces by Australian author Sarah Epstein.
My favourite element of Rules for Vanishing was the ability to surprise readers. By now we've all read enough paranormal to fill a warehouse, this is one book that needs to be celebrated for being unique and creating the mystery and intrigue to captivate even the toughest of readers, not to mention creep us the hell out.
You know what, just read it. The element of surprise is all in the discovery of the urban legend and those who seek answers. Just a word of warning to leave the light on, Lucy seems to dwell in the dark.
Contains spoilers for Messenger of Fear. See my book one review here.
Written by Michael Grant
Paranormal, Horror, Supernatural
Published October 1st 2015
400 Pages
Thank you to Hardie Grant Egmont
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★★★★
Mara has already witnessed more evil as the Messenger’s apprentice than most people do in their lifetime, but the games continue.
The Messenger leads Mara to the funeral of a Muslim boy named Aimal, who died standing up for his people, and then to an abandoned store, where they discover Graciella, a girl battling addiction. The all knowing Messenger recognizes that they are victims of heinous crimes. Mara and Messenger will find the wicked, those who act out of selfishness and greed, and others who become violent because of prejudice and hate.
But Mara and Messenger pay a price too. For every person who is offered justice, they will wear a tattoo that symbolizes the heart of the crime. And as Mara delves deeper into her harsh reality, she is surprised to realize that part of her is drawn to the sometimes compassionate Messenger. In spite of all the terror she and Messenger inflict, Mara will discover that caring in this world is the hardest part of all.
Mara is now working as the Messenger's apprentice, in which agents of Isthil punish the wicked in order to restore the balance of humanity. She invades your mind to find your greatest fear while those chosen to play the game await their fate. Mara lives in limbo, a world where nothing exists beyond her meager dwelling and spends her days punishing the wicked while contemplating her own fate.
When a young Muslim boy is killed fighting against the oppression in his homeland, Mara and The Messenger must find those who played a part in Aimal's demise while restoring the balance on behalf of a young girl on the streets. Nothing is black and white in Mara's world, but her only constant is that of The Messenger. As the two begin to form a tentative bond, Mara begins to feel more for her mentor beyond the horrors of their lives. She misses her family, her friends and it's becoming clear what a lonely existence living as a Messenger of Fear can be. The day will come when Mara will lose her name and be only known as Messenger. Never to be touched and never to be loved again.
Kelly's Thoughts
The Tattooed Heart follows the story of Mara, a girl who has been sentenced by a greater power for her hand in driving a young girl to suicide. She's now accepted her fate and works as an apprentice for the Messenger of Fear, a title which allows those who bare it to see into the minds of those who are deemed wicked and extract their greatest fear. To restore the balance, to determine guilt, the wicked are asked to play a game where the only positive outcome is to win. Refusing to play is seen as being defeated and punishable under the guidance of Isthil. The horrors Mara faces haunt her every moment, fears of justice that befalls upon those sentenced. She's being trained to become The Messenger, where she will lose her identity, her spirit and any connection to her former life.
In The Tattooed Heart, Mara is pining for her former life. With each new judgement, an inked tattoo appears on her skin, her mind holding the horrors of the darkest fears of the wicked and as a Messenger, she is never to be touched. But rather than let the isolation and loneliness take hold, Mara becomes emotionally invested in her work. Her feelings for The Messenger are clouding her judgement all while he pines away for his lost love simply known as Ariadne. Mara knows she'll never hold his heart so in an act of narcissism disguised as kindness, she's determined to find out what became of Ariadne so The Messenger may one day be free to love her. Only her.
I felt for Mara. I don't believe she was in love with The Messenger, but craved companionship and understanding. Facing a life of servitude in a state of purgatory, Mara's apprenticeship is almost complete, only then will she take the reigns alone and become the next Messenger. But throughout The Tattooed Heart, Mara is also faced with the decision whether to seek a life of pleasure with Oriax, the counterbalance to The Messenger who seeks pleasure and pain. Throughout the storyline, Mara not only matures, but develops into someone who's not only being punished but is worthy of the Messenger title.
Ending on a bittersweet note, I can't fathom what Michael Grant has in store for the finale. The Messenger of Fear series, although entertaining, also poses questions to readers such as morality, justice and paying for your crimes. How we judge others, even fictional characters, as seen through the eyes of someone else.
Ending on a bittersweet note, I can't fathom what Michael Grant has in store for the finale. The Messenger of Fear series, although entertaining, also poses questions to readers such as morality, justice and paying for your crimes. How we judge others, even fictional characters, as seen through the eyes of someone else.
An emotional installment to the series, The Tattooed Heart is engaging, highly charged and sure to leave readers feeling emotionally exhausted. I enjoyed the inclusion of more diverse characters who Mara and The Messenger are seeking justice for, as I felt more invested in their plight than that of our protagonist at times. Similar to Michael Grant's Gone series, the writing is sharp, restrained and isn't bloated by lyrical prose. Looking forward to the finale and seeing the magic Michael Grant can create for our young heroine. Because bloody hell, she's going to need it.The Final Verdict
Kelly is a part time crime fighter, a dairy connoisseur and possibly the best dancer the world has ever seen.
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The Haunting of Sunshine Girl Book One
Written by Paige McKenzie
Paranormal, Horror
Published April 1st 2015
288 Pages
Thank you to Pan Macmillan Australia
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★★★★
★★★★
In that place where you're more asleep than awake any more, I hear something else. A phrase uttered in a child's voice, no more than a whisper. Night Night.Something freaky's going on with Sunshine's new house... There's the chill that wraps itself around her bones, the giggling she can hear in the dead of night, and then the strange shadows that lurk in her photographs. But the more weird stuff that happens, the less her mum believes her. Sunshine's always had a quirky affiliation with the past, but this time, history is getting much too close for comfort...If there is something, or someone, haunting her house, what do they want? And what will they do if Sunshine can't help them?As things become more frightening and dangerous, and the giggles she hears turn to sobs and screams, Sunshine has no choice but to accept what she is, face the test before her and save her mother from a fate worse than death.
The Vanishing Game
Written by Kate Kae Myers
Paranormal Thriller
Published December 1st 2014
384 Pages
Thank you to Bloomsbury Australia
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Written by Kate Kae Myers
Paranormal Thriller
Published December 1st 2014
384 Pages
Thank you to Bloomsbury Australia
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Seventeen year old Jocelyn follows clues apparently from her dead twin, Jack, in and around Seale House, the terrifying foster home where they once lived. With help from childhood friend Noah she begins to uncover the truth about Jack's death and the company that employed him and Noah.
Jocelyn's twin brother Jack was the only family she had growing up in a world of foster homes, and now he's dead, and she has nothing. Then she gets a cryptic letter from 'Jason December', the code name her brother used to use when they were children at Seale House, a terrifying foster home that they believed had dark powers. Only one other person knows about Jason December. Noah, Jocelyn's childhood crush and their only real friend among the troubled children at Seale House.
But when Jocelyn returns to Seale House and the city where she last saw Noah, she gets more than she bargained for. Turns out the house's powers weren't just a figment of a childish imagination. And someone is following Jocelyn. Is Jack still alive? And if he is, what kind of trouble is he in? The answer is revealed in a shocking twist that turns this story on its head and will send readers straight back to page one to read the book in a whole new light.
Written by Michael Grant
Paranormal, Science Fiction
Expected publication September 1st 2014
320 Pages
Thank you to Hardie Grant Egmont
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★★★★
I remembered my name, Mara. But, standing in that ghostly place, faced with the solemn young man in the black coat with silver skulls for buttons, I could recall nothing else about myself. And then the games began.The Messenger sees the darkness in young hearts, and the damage it inflicts upon the world. If they go unpunished, he offers the wicked a game. Win, and they can go free. Lose, and they will live out their greatest fear.But what does any of this have to do with Mara? She is about to find out...
Mara has just awoken in the middle of a field, caressed by a mysterious fog and all she can remember is her name. Stumbling into the lone and desolate church, she sees the figure of a boy, a coffin and with no other explanation of who she is and why she's there, other than to learn. He's known as The Messenger of Fear and this is Mara's fate.
The Messenger of Fear judges moral crimes, those not punishable by law and now Mara seemingly shares this curse, gaining insight to what drove a young teen to suicide, the couple who cared more for themselves than an injured animal and the boy who taunting another into killing. The game is simple, Mara is assaulted with images and their deepest fears, and then the fear is used against them and judgement is passed.
But when Mara begins to invest in a case of teen suicide and bullying, she begins to see how balance in the world needs to be restored. But how has she come to be his apprentice? What had he done to deserve such a punishment and why now is it her turn to carry on his legacy?
Kelly's Thoughts
Messenger of Fear is fantastic. It walks the fine line between the criminal and moral dilemmas that humans face, and puts the reader in the seat as victim, accused and juror. Apart from her name, Mara is a complete unknown with no memory of not only how she come to be laying in the desolate field, but who she is. She's a clean slate, making it much easier for her to accept her role beside the Messenger of Fear without little question. It follows the misdeeds of three different situations, a bully related suicide, an injured animal and a man that taunted barely legal young man to kill. Messenger works for a high power, in which he calls upon when seeing inside the minds of each accused and using their greatest fears to test whether or not they should be persecuted.
The fears portrayed result in quite a few gruesome scenes, but the horror aspect was brilliant. But where the Messenger plays juror, a villain waits in the wings, Oriax. She has the ability to lure those to her dark side with a voice of silk. It's a battle of what seemingly seems evil and a lesser evil. Those who choose not to play the game for their freedom are plunged into her hands for a truly horrific fate. She's seductive and incredibly entertaining.
The Final Verdict
Being a series, I was left with more questions than answers and hope the next in the series delves more into the world in which Messenger and Oriax serve. Slow to start, but the pace picks up quickly and kept me enthralled as Mara's story unraveled. Looking forward to seeing what's in store for the rest of the series. Michael Grant is an incredible young adult author and this is a brilliant example as to why he's much loved.
Written by Rebecca James
Thriller, Romance, Mystery
Published April 1st 2013
336 Pages
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★★★★
'I still dream about Anna London's house. In my dreams it's as if the house itself has sinister intentions. But in real life it wasn't the house that was responsible for what happened. It was the people who did the damage...'When Tim Ellison finds a cheap room to rent in the perfect location in Sydney it looks like a huge stroke of luck. In fact the room comes with a condition, and the owner of the house, the mysterious Anna London, is unfriendly and withdrawn. When strange and terrifying things start happening in the house at night, Tim wonders if taking the room is a mistake. But then his feelings for Anna start to change, and when her past comes back with a vengeance, Tim is caught right in the middle of it.A thrilling rollercoaster of a story, read it with the lights on!
Tim can't continue sleeping on friend, and former flame Lilla's couch, so when Lilla pushes him into finding somewhere else to live, he can't believe his luck when a room for board is available at Fairview, cheap and with so few conditions. His new housemate is twenty year old Anna, quaint, quiet and suffers from the debilitating condition of Agoraphobia, an anxiety disorder in which renders her scared of stepping beyond the doors of her own home. In exchange for a measly weekly rental fee, Tim agrees to run simple errands for Anna and simply keep her company in the monstrous nineteenth century home. Anna has lived alone since the death of her parents in a horrific accident three years prior, and while she and her mother didn't get along, she adored her father despite his blatant flirting and womanising, not to mention the unfaithfulness that her mother has always accused him of.
It isn't long before Tim realises that living at Fairview isn't as ideal as first thought. Anna isn't one for conversation, no matter how incredibly lonely she's been. She cries herself to sleep each night, often calling out to what Tim believes is a lost love. The only friends that Anna has come to rely on, are sibling that may in fact be even stranger than she. But for all her quirks, Anna is still not the strangest attraction of Fairview. The presence through the house, being watched while he's asleep, Tim needs answers... And Anna has a story to tell.
Kelly's Thoughts
Sweet Damage was a surprising, heart stopping thrill ride that I simply couldn't put down. The storyline follows Tim, who works in the family restaurant and spends his free time surfing and sleeping on his former girlfriends couch. Moving out, he moves into Fairview, an incredible heritage home, with cheap rent in exchange for running errands for the strange recluse Anna. Anna is an incredible character and I found myself endeared almost immediately. The living arrangements are incredibly awkward, but rather than distance himself, Tim simply wants to know who Anna is and mistakenly shares his concerns with Lilla. Lilla is over confident and lacks a social filter, often appearing to be uncaring, rude and painfully blunt and although in a relationship, Tim still pines for her. Although I have no idea why. Lilla was little more than a loudmouthed attention seeker and considering she accused Tim of struggling through his own life, she's irritating and barely tolerable in small doses.
The mixture of manic terror, mystery and suspense is enthralling and I loved every delicious moment. Rebecca James created an incredible thriller that left me guessing until the very end.
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