Love of Kill, Vol. 5

Today's manga post is on Love of Kill, Vol. 5 by FE. It is 162 pages long and is published by Yen Press. The cover has Chateau and Ryang-Ha on looking rough. As it is the fifth in the series, you need to have read the first four volumes to understand the story. The intended reader is someone who likes action series with mysteries at the heart of the story. There is mild foul language, no sex, and action violence in this manga. The story is told from third person close following Chateau and Ryang-Ha mostly. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the manga- After turning himself in to Donny—the man pulling all the strings—Ryang-Ha is forced to confront his murky past. With little chance of escape, his only hope is to sow chaos among Donny's men, presenting the perfect opportunity for Chateau to break in and come to his rescue! But will she make it to Ryang-Ha in time, or will she end up another puppet on Donny's volatile stage?

Review- Ryang-Ha is taken to the mysterious Donny, who seems to known the person who Ryang-Ha got his name from. The group is full of broken and dangerous people and they have questions for both Ryang-Ha and Chateau. Chateau is only getting more confused by Ryang-Ha and his actions, not that he is helping by explaining himself. This volume is mostly action with little plot or character growth but that didn't bother me as I think that this volume is setup for future growth in both plot and character. Chateau and Ryang-Ha are reunited at the end with enemies all around them and the only one they want alive is Chateau. Good hook for the next volume, so I'm looking forward to seeing what is going to happen next. 

I give this volume a Five out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I bought this manga with my own money.

Love of Kill, Vol. 4

Today's manga post is on Love of Kill, Vol. 4 by FE. It is 162 pages long and is published by Yen Press. The cover has Chateau on it with a gun to her head. As it is the fourth volume in the series, you need to have read the first three volumes to understand the story. The intended reader is someone who likes intense, josei stories with morally gray characters. There is some foul language, no sex, and violence in this manga. The story is told from third person of the different characters. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the manga- After her boss is nearly assassinated, Chateau is confronted by the assailant. He’s going after Ryang-Ha, and he means to enlist her help—willing or otherwise! Torn between Ryang-Ha and her loved ones, Chateau starts to collapse under the pressure, longing for an easy way out…

Review- This volume picks up right where the last volume ended with Chateau's boss being stabbed and Ryang-Ha finding him. The volume is a game of cat and mouse with the killers, who want Ryang-Ha, and are willing to do anything to get him. With everything happening, Chateau is under a lot of stress and she is at the end of her rope. But Ryang-Ha is not going to lose her after finding her again. The volume ends with a cliff hanger and I can't wait to see what is going to happen next. 

I give this volume a Five out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I bought this manga with my own money.

Something's Wrong With Us, Vol. 6

Today's manga post is on Something's Wrong With Us, Vol. 6 by Natsumi Andō. It is 160 pages long and is published by Kodansha Comics. The cover has Nao and Tsubaki on it. As it is the sixth volume in the series, you need to have read the first five volumes to understand the plot. There is mild foul language, mild sexuality, and no violence in this manga. The intended reader is someone who likes twisty, thriller romances with morally grey characters. The story is told from third person close of the main characters. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the manga- A New Spark
Nao is more nervous than ever as her body begins to accommodate a new life, so she copes by focusing on her beloved wagashi . She throws herself into making Shimaya’s warabi mochi in order to help Jojima earn back the acclaim for his family’s treasured confection. Meanwhile, Tsubaki senses that Nao is hiding something from him, but decides not to press her about it. When they visit Yuko, Tsubaki lays bare his feelings, and Nao is touched by his sincerity. As the couple grows closer, she thinks she can take a chance on his love, but trouble is never far on the horizon for these two lovers bound by a dark past…

Review- This volume has some real bombshells in it. From Nao being pregnant to who Tsubaki and Nao's real fathers are. There is just to much going on. The grandfather knows that not only is Tsubaki not is his grandson but that he has a granddaughter out there somewhere. Nao is really feeling the pressure now. The mother-in-law is starting to really get crazy and she may try anything to keep her hands on the shop. As the plot goes, it just keeps getting better with very twist. I cannot wait to read the next volume. 

I give this volume a Five out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I bought this manga with my own money.

Clown in a Cornfield 2: Frendo Lives

Today's fiction post is on Clown in a Cornfield 2: Frendo Lives by Adam Cesare. It is 416 pages long and is published by Harper Teen. As it is the second in the series, you need to have read the first one to understand the story. The cover is a close-up of a Frendo mask. The intended reader is someone who likes teen slasher horror movies and novels. There is foul language, mild sexual content, and lots of violence in this novel. The story is told from third person close of different characters. There Be Spoilers Ahead. 

From the dust jacket- After barely making it out of the Kettle Springs cornfields alive, Quinn’s first year of college back in Philadelphia should be safe and comparatively easy. All Quinn wants is to forget what happened and be normal again. But instead, Quinn finds that her past won’t leave her alone when she becomes the focus of a host of online conspiracy theories that claim to prove that the Kettle Springs Massacre never happened. It’s a deranged but relentless fantasy, and there’s nothing Quinn can do to get people to hear the truth — not even on her own campus or in her own dorm room.
So when a murderous clown attacks Quinn at a frat party while another goes after her father in Kettle Springs at the same time, Quinn realizes that that the facts alone are never going to save her. Her only option is to go back home, back into the cornfields, back to where the nightmare began, to set the record straight the only way she knows how. Because when the truth gets lost in the lies, that’s when real people start to die.

Review- Set a year after the events of the first novel, Quinn is trying to be a normal college student that's hard when not survived a night of killer clowns but are the one who stopped them. So when her friends from Kettle Springs come to visit her and they get attacked by a man with a gun, she knows that it's not over yet. The action start quickly and never lets up. We jumped from Quinn at college back to Kettle Springs and then the two stories combine. Quinn and her friends haven't forgotten what they learned in the first novel and their character growth continues in this one. Like a good horror movie sequel the stakes are higher and the betrayals are bigger. A good second volume with a interesting ending that has me anxious for the next volume and where the story is going next. 

I give this novel a Four out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I borrowed this novel from my local library. 

Love of Kill, Vol 3

Today's manga post is on Love of Kill, Vol 3 by FE. It is 164 pages long and is published by Yen Press. The cover has Ryang-Ha on it looking dangerous. As it is the third volume in the series, you need to have read the first two volumes to understand the story. The intended reader is someone who likes morally grey character, intense action, and slow burn love stories. There is mild foul language, no sex, and violence in this manga. The story is told from third person close of the two main characters. There Be Spoilers Ahead. 

From the back of the manga- After Chateau is captured by Hou, Ryang-Ha sets off to track him down and take her back. Pistol in hand, he confronts her captor, who’s more than happy to accept his challenge. But Hou’s brought a knife to a gun fight, and Ryang-Ha’s never been one to show mercy. However, with Chateau’s whereabouts yet unknown, Hou has all the leverage he needs…

Review- An old co-worker of Ryang-Ha has kidnapped Chateau with the intention of drawing him out to kill them both. But Ryang-Ha is not going to just lie down and die and either is Chateau. Then when Chateau's connection to Ryang-Ha is revealed to her boss, she has to make a deal. Ryang-Ha is willing to make any deals, just as long as he stays close to her. The volume ends with Ryang-Ha being framed for a murder and the real killer is lose and unknown. I look forward to seeing what is going to happen next. 

I give this volume a Five out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I bought this manga with my own money. 

Something's Wrong With Us, Vol. 5

Today's manga post is on Something's Wrong With Us, Vol. 5 by Natsumi Andō. It is 160 pages long and is published by Kodansha Comics. As it is the fifth volume in the series, you need to have read the first four volumes to understand the story. The cover has the two main characters on it. The intended reader is someone who likes mysteries with a touch forbidden romance. There is some mild foul language, sex, and mild violence in this manga. The story is told from third person close of the main character, Nao. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the manga- Two Fates Under One Tragic Moon
Nao may have managed to infiltrate Kogetsuan by marrying Tsubaki, but can she discover the truth behind her mother's death without her true identity being exposed? At the invitation of one of the shop's junior employees, Jojima, she pays her first visit in years to the staff quarters where her mother raised her. She feels a natural affinity for this helpful young man, but it turns out the secrets of his past are just as terrifying as her own...

Review- Nao continues to play with fire as she gets deeper into Tsubaki's life and the politics of the tea house. Even worse, she is being manipulated by a co-worker, who is being paid by her mother-in-law. Her mother-in-law will stop at nothing to drive Nao from the house but Nao will not stop until she knows the truth. The mystery and the personalities of the characters are so interesting and at times very disturbing. But Tsubaki seems to really love Nao, as least as much as he can. There is be some great starting drama in the next volume and I cannot wait. 

I give this volume a Four out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I bought this manga with my own money. 

Harrow County: Omnibus Volume 2

Today's post is on Harrow County: Omnibus Volume 2 by Cullen Bunn et all. It is 408 pages long and published by Dark Horse Books. The cover has Hester Beck with a bloody cow skull in her hands. As it is the second omnibus, you need to have read the first volume to understand the story. The intended reader is someone who likes historical urban fantasy and horror. There is some mild foul language, no sex, and action violence in this graphic novel. The story follows Emmy. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- While Emmy has been focused on dealing with supernatural threats from the outside world; a much bigger problem has been brewing at home, leading to an epic confrontation that will alter the fate of the entirety of Harrow County!

Review- A great conclusion to a great story. Emmy has so much to do with keeping Harrow County safe from all the spirits in it and she has to learn about who she is really is. Emmy learns more about her family, her real powers, and what powers Kammi had. Bernice is also learning how to protect Harrow County in her own way. But none of that matters when Hester is returned to the world and she is gunning for Emmy. This was an great journey with Emmy and the others in Harrow County. I would read the next thing by Bunn and the artists who work with him. 

I give this omnibus a Five out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I borrowed this graphic novel from my local library. 

The Lonesome Hunters

Today's fiction post is on The Lonesome Hunters by Tyler Crook. It is 104 pages long and is published by Dark Horse Comics. The cover has the two main characters with the magic sword. The intended reader is someone who likes urban fantasy and supernatural settings. There is no foul language, no sex, and mild action violence in this graphic novel. The story is told from third person god perspective following the characters. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- An old and out-of-practice monster hunter in hiding crosses paths with a young girl that forces him to confront these chaotic creatures. As the beasts invade their tenement they set off on a supernatural road trip to stop these ancient evils in a story that explores the ways that youth informs adulthood and how early traumas can haunt us in old age.

Review- The story starts with the hunter, Howard, as a young man and what happened to him. Then we jump into the future with Lupe as she is trying to just make it living with her uncle, who stole something that he shouldn't have. She runs to Howard and then they are fighting and running from things either truly understand. This volume is a lot of set-up from the world to the characters. So a lot of questions but no answer about what is really going on and who the bad guys really are. But I'm hopeful, as I did enjoy this graphic novel. I look forward to reading the volume whenever it comes out. 

I give this graphic novel a Four out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I borrowed this graphic novel from my local library. 

The Promised Neverland, Vol. 3

Today's manga post is on The Promised Neverland, Vol. 3 by Kaiu Shirai and Posuka Demizu  (Illustrator). It is 192 pages long and is published by Shonen Jump. The cover has the children running and defended themselves. As it is the third volume in the series, you need to have read the first two volumes. The intended reader is someone who likes horror, dystopian manga. There is no foul language, no sex, and some mild violence in this manga. The story is told from third person close of the different characters moving as needed. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the manga- Destroy!
In order to escape the orphanage where they are being raised as food for demons, Emma, Norman and Ray begin recruiting allies. But convincing the other children to believe them may not be an easy task. 

Review- This volume is very tense with the adults both moving, against the children and each other. Sister Krone wants to be a mom and she knows that the children are planning to escape. So she proposes a alliance, help for the children to escape and help to bring down mom Isabelle. Of course nothing goes as planned with Sister Krone giving her life to help the children in some mysterious way and mom Isabelle saying that Norman's day is here. The tension is getting greater as the children are very aware of time running out for them and they still know so little about the outside world. I hope that we get the escape soon because Grace Field House is just getting more dangerous for everyone, even Isabelle. 

I give this volume a Five out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I bought this manga with my own money.

Hide

Today's post is on Hide by Kiersten White. It is 240 pages long and is published by Del Rey. The cover is yellow with a Ferris wheel on floating ground in the center. The intended reader is someone who likes horror novels. There is foul language, no sex and mild violence in this novel. The story is from third person close of the different characters. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the dust jacket- The challenge: spend a week hiding in an abandoned amusement park and don't get caught.
The prize: enough money to change everything.
Even though everyone is desperate to win--to seize their dream futures or escape their haunting pasts--Mack feels sure that she can beat her competitors. All she has to do is hide, and she's an expert at that.
It's the reason she's alive, and her family isn't.
But as the people around her begin disappearing one by one, Mack realizes this competition is more sinister than even she imagined, and that together might be the only way to survive.
Fourteen competitors. Seven days. Everywhere to hide, but nowhere to run.
Come out, come out, wherever you are.

Review- A very intense and interesting horror novel. Mack has been hiding all her life, from her past and her future. But when she is offered a chance in this game, she thinks why not. But of course nothing is like it seems. The other people are odd, like her and there is something wrong with the maze. The mystery about the maze was not too hard to figure out but the plot was still enjoyable. I liked the characters and I was sadden by their deaths but this is a horror novel. I think that White did a good job in this novel, she took a good concept, added interesting characters, and made a good novel. I would enjoy reading another novel from her. 

I give this novel a Five out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I borrowed this novel from my local library. 

Yakuza Lover, Vol. 5

Today's post is on Yakuza Lover, Vol. 5 by Nozomi Mino. It is 170 pages long and is published by Shojo Beat. The cover has Yuri and Oya on it, dressed up for a date. As it is the fifth in the series, you need to have read the first four to understand the story. There is some mild foul language, sex and sexuality, and mild violence in this series. The intended reader is someone who likes dark romance, mafia love stories, and strong heroines. The story closely follows Yuri and at times Oya. There Be Spoilers Ahead,

From the back of the book- Choko, a hostess working at a club under the Oya syndicate’s protection, has her sights set on Oya. Determined to have Oya all to herself, the femme fatale arranges for Yuri to be attacked so she can play the hero and use it as an excuse to get closer to Oya. Oya discovers Choko’s plot, but it’s part of the Oya syndicate’s creed to never lay hands on a woman. So how is he going to settle the score with her?

Review- This volume is really about Choko and her obsession with Oya. we do see Yuri as she buys a birthday present for Oya and Oya dealing with Choko but the main focus of the story is Choko and what she will do to get Oya. Of course Choko doesn't understand that Oya is not playing with Yuri, that he is in love with her. So because of that mistake, Choko is going to lose access to Oya forever. I liked this volume following another character for a more in depth look into her motives. Choko was a good side villain, she willing to do just about anything to get who she wants. But the ending was focused back right it should be, which is on Yuri and Oya. I look forward to the next volume. 

I give this volume a Four out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I bought this manga with my own money.

Clown in a Cornfield

Today's fiction post is on Clown in a Cornfield by Adam Cesare. It is 346 pages long and is published by Harper Teen. The cover is red with a clown face design in a cornfield and building in the distance behind. The intended reader is someone who likes teen slasher horror novels. There is mild foul language, no sex, and lots of violence in this novel. The story is told from third person close moving from character to character. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the dust jacket- Quinn Maybrook just wants to make it until graduation. She might not make it to morning.
Quinn and her father moved to tiny, boring Kettle Springs to find a fresh start. But ever since the Baypen Corn Syrup Factory shut down, Kettle Springs has cracked in half. On one side are the adults, who are desperate to make Kettle Springs great again, and on the other are the kids, who want to have fun, make prank videos, and get out of Kettle Springs as quick as they can.
Kettle Springs is caught in a battle between old and new, tradition and progress. It’s a fight that looks like it will destroy the town. Until Frendo, the Baypen mascot, a creepy clown in a pork-pie hat, goes homicidal and decides that the only way for Kettle Springs to grow back is to cull the rotten crop of kids who live there now.

Review- This is a very fun, quick read for spooky season. From the prologue all the way to the end, this novel is a very fun ride. Quinn and her father are new in town and they are still grieving the loss of their mother/wife.  They get thrown into the deep end of town craziness right away and it never stops. Quinn is a good main character, she is smart but knows when she is over her head. The side characters are interesting and the motives behind the killing is very teen horror movie but it's in a good, fun way. Cesare knows what he is writing and has fun with it. I would like to read more from him. If you like teen slasher movies or books, then you should give this novel a try. 

I give this novel a Four out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I borrowed this novel from my local library.

Beneath the Stairs

Today's post is on Beneath the Stairs by Jennifer Fawcett. It is 352 pages long and is published by Atria Books. The cover is dark blue with a staircase on it. The intended reader is someone who likes mysteries. There is some mild sexuality, mild foul language, and no violence.  The story is told in many ways from first person to third person, depending on the character. There Be Spoilers Ahead. 

From the back of the book- A woman returns to her hometown after her childhood friend attempts suicide at a local haunted house—the same place where a traumatic incident shattered their lives twenty years ago.
Few in sleepy Sumner’s Mills have stumbled across the Octagon House hidden deep in the woods. Even fewer are brave enough to trespass. A man had killed his wife and two young daughters there, a shocking, gruesome crime that the sleepy upstate New York town tried to bury. One summer night, an emboldened fourteen-year-old Clare and her best friend, Abby, ventured into the Octagon House. Clare came out, but a piece of Abby never did.
Twenty years later, an adult Clare receives word that Abby has attempted suicide at the Octagon House and now lies in a coma. With little to lose and still grieving after a personal tragedy, Clare returns to her roots to uncover the darkness responsible for Abby’s accident.

Review- An interesting mystery with some heavy emotional baggage. One teenage prank unrevealed a friendship and one girl's sanity. Clare pranked her best friend Abby in abandoned house and Abby saw something that scared her out of her mind. For the next twenty years Clare lived with this guilt but when Abby is found in the house near death, Clare must face her past and the houses' past too. A good mystery with a lot of character drama from Clare running her past, both old and new, and the house itself. The way the story is told from different characters and perspectives, it is a unusual way to tell a story. Fawcett handles it well and it adds so much to the background of the story. I look forward to reading her next book. 

I give this novel a Four out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I borrowed this book from my local library.

The Dead and the Dark

 

Today's post is on The Dead and the Dark by Courtney Gould. It is 368 pages and is published by Wednesday Books. The cover has a cabin at the base with smoke coming up and forming two girls' faces. The intended reader is someone who likes teen horror and mystery with a mild touch of romance. There is foul language, no sex, and violence in this novel. The story is told from third person close of the main characters, moving from chapter to chapter. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the dust jacket- The Dark has been waiting for far too long, and it won't stay hidden any longer.
Something is wrong in Snakebite, Oregon. Teenagers are disappearing, some turning up dead, the weather isn’t normal, and all fingers seem to point to TV’s most popular ghost hunters who have just returned to town. Logan Ortiz-Woodley, daughter of TV's ParaSpectors, has never been to Snakebite before, but the moment she and her dads arrive, she starts to get the feeling that there's more secrets buried here than they originally let on.
Ashley Barton’s boyfriend was the first teen to go missing, and she’s felt his presence ever since. But now that the Ortiz-Woodleys are in town, his ghost is following her and the only person Ashley can trust is the mysterious Logan. When Ashley and Logan team up to figure out who—or what—is haunting Snakebite, their investigation reveals truths about the town, their families, and themselves that neither of them are ready for. As the danger intensifies, they realize that their growing feelings for each other could be a light in the darkness.

Review- This is a good YA novel with a good mystery at the heart, add in a little LBGT+ romance, you have a good strong novel. Logan has always been on the road with her dads as the film their show ParaSpectors. But one of her dad has been in Snakebite for months and no new episode yet. So Logan and her other dad head there and Logan learns more about her dads and her own forgotten past. Ashley is just trying to sense of a world without her best friend and she is certain that the Ortiz-Woodleys have something to do with it. With both girls hunting for the truth, what will they do when the truth coming hunting for them? This was a good mystery, I was guessing about what was really going on. Is there some evil force in Snakebite or just evil people? Gould did a wonderful job on her time out and I look forward to seeing what she writes next. 

I give this novel a Four out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I borrowed this novel from my local library. 

Love of Kill, vol 2

 

Today's post is on Love of Kill, vol 2 by Fe. It is 162 pages long and is published by Yen Press. The cover has Chateau an Ryang-Ha in it looking cool and dangerous. As it is the second volume in the series, you need to have read the first volume to understand the story. The intended reader is someone who likes mystery and thriller manga. The story id told from third person close of the main characters. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- After being chased down and driven to the brink of death by a mysterious man with a tattoo on his face, Chateau's left with more questions than  answers. And when her assailant tells her Ryang-Ha's to blame fir the attack, she can't help but wonder about her fellow assassin's past. Meanwhile, Ryang-Ha recalls the betrayal that set all this in motion.

Review- A lot of character development happens in this volume from sees the character's past to how they interact with the present. The volume starts where the last one left off with Chateau in danger and Ryang-Ha trying to find her. Ryang-Ha knows the bad guy and the bad guy is after him for revenge. Most of this volume is flashback to what happened in both Chateau and Ryang-Ha's past. But that flashbacks didn't slow the story down, they helped add context to previous scenes and present scenes in the manga. I liked seeing what drives our man characters and I am looking forward to reading the next volume. 

I give this volume a Five out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I bought this manga with my own money.

Lute

Today's post is on Lute by Jennifer Marie Thorne. It is 274 pages long and is published by TOR Nightfire. The cover is deep purple with seven figure in white with garlands around their necks. The intended reader is someone who likes traditional, folk horror. There is some mild foul language, some sexuality, and violence in this novel. The story is told from first person perspective of the main character, Nina. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the dust jacket- On the idyllic island of Lute, every seventh summer, seven people die. No more, no less.
Lute and its inhabitants are blessed, year after year, with good weather, good health, and good fortune. They live a happy, superior life, untouched by the war that rages all around them. So it’s only fair that every seven years, on the day of the tithe, the island’s gift is honored.
Nina Treadway is new to The Day. A Florida girl by birth, she became a Lady through her marriage to Lord Treadway, whose family has long protected the island. Nina’s heard about The Day, of course. Heard about the horrific tragedies, the lives lost, but she doesn’t believe in it. It's all superstitious nonsense. Stories told to keep newcomers at bay and youngsters in line.
Then The Day begins. And it's a day of nightmares, of grief, of reckoning. But it is also a day of community. Of survival and strength. Of love, at its most pure and untamed. When The Day ends, Nina―and Lute―will never be the same.

Review- This is a very engaging folk horror novel in the tradition of The Wicker Man. Nina came to the island of Lute seven years ago when she married the new lord of the island. Everyone on the island has told that until she experiences The Day, she isn't a real Luter. Told over the course of two days, this novel is an intense, atmospheric experience in classic style horror. The writing is tight and claustrophobic, focused tightly on Nina and her interactions with the other characters and The Day. The island of Lute itself is a character, it is, of course, the setting but it is also a character that interacts with Nina and some of the other characters. That magnifies the setting and it's place in the narrative. Thorne does a wonderful job with this novel and I highly recommend this novel for classic horror lovers. 

I give this novel a Four out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I borrowed this novel from my local library.

The Good Assassin: How a Mossad Agent and a Band of Survivors Hunted Down the Butcher of Latvia

Today's nonfiction post is on The Good Assassin: How a Mossad Agent and a Band of Survivors Hunted Down the Butcher of Latvia by Stephan Talty. It is 304 pages long and is published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. The cover is red on top with the title and on the bottom half a ripped photo of Herbert Cukurs. There is foul language, sex, rape, and violence in this book. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the dust jacket- The untold story of an Israeli spy’s epic journey to bring the notorious Butcher of Latvia to justice—a case that altered the fates of all ex-Nazis.
Before World War II, Herbert Cukurs was a famous figure in his small Latvian city, the “Charles Lindbergh of his country.” But by 1945, he was the Butcher of Latvia, a man who murdered some thirty thousand Latvian Jews. Somehow, he dodged the Nuremberg trials, fleeing to South America after war’s end.
By 1965, as a statute of limitations on all Nazi war crimes threatened to expire, Germany sought to welcome previous concentration camp commanders, pogrom leaders, and executioners, as citizens. The global pursuit of Nazi criminals escalated to beat the looming deadline, and Mossad, the Israeli national intelligence agency, joined the cause. Yaakov Meidad, the brilliant Mossad agent who had kidnapped Adolf Eichmann three years earlier, led the mission to assassinate Cukurs in a desperate bid to block the amnesty. In a thrilling undercover operation unrivaled by even the most ambitious spy novels, Meidad traveled to Brazil in an elaborate disguise, befriended Cukurs and earned his trust, while negotiations over the Nazi pardon neared a boiling point.
The Good Assassin uncovers this little-known chapter of Holocaust history and the pulse-pounding undercover operation that brought Cukurs to justice.

Review- This is a very interesting book about a small part of the greater story of World War II. This book is divided in two parts; the first part is during the war and what happened in Latvia, and the second part is about finding Cukurs and assassinating him. Both parts are interesting and both are necessary to understand the drives of the men involved with Mossad. The story is very intense with the hunt for Cukurs, the spy craft, and the fight to the death. There is also politics in the background that made this mission all the more important for the families of the Jews that Cukurs murdered. Talty handles this story with care and respect but he spares no details, so if you are more sensitive to war crimes, then have caution with this book. 

I give this book a Four out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I borrowed this book from my local library. 

Echo

Today's post is on Echo by Thomas Olde Heuvelt. It is 401 pages long and is published by Nightfire. The cover is green with a man off center and he has birds coming from his face. The intended reader is someone who likes horror stories. There is sex and sexuality, foul language, and mild violence in this novel. The story is told from first person perspective of the main characters, Sam and Nick. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the dust jacket- NATURE IS CALLING—but they shouldn't have answered.
Travel journalist and mountaineer Nick Grevers awakes from a coma to find that his climbing buddy, Augustin, is missing and presumed dead. Nick’s own injuries are as extensive as they are horrifying. His face wrapped in bandages and unable to speak, Nick claims amnesia—but he remembers everything.
He remembers how he and Augustin were mysteriously drawn to the Maudit, a remote and scarcely documented peak in the Swiss Alps.
He remembers how the slopes of Maudit were eerily quiet, and how, when they entered its valley, they got the ominous sense that they were not alone.
He remembers: something was waiting for them...
But it isn’t just the memory of the accident that haunts Nick. Something has awakened inside of him, something that endangers the lives of everyone around him…
It’s one thing to lose your life. It’s another to lose your soul.

Review- An intense and riveting horror novel about realizing your place on the earth. The story starts towards the end of the novel with Sam's sister Julia and something from the mountain that has come for her. The opening sets the tone for the novel and it is very intense. Then the story jumps back to Sam learning that Nick had been an accident up on the mountain named Maudit. But Nick shouldn't have been near the Maudit and what happened to his climbing partner? This horror novel is very unique, from the plot to the pacing, I enjoyed it very much. The mystery of what happened up on the mountain and what the mountain itself it was very interesting and I was pulled through this novel very quickly. If you are looking for nature horror, then you need to read this novel. 

I give this novel a Four out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I borrowed this book from my local library.

The Croning

Today's post is on The Croning by Laird Barron. It is 245 pages long and is published by Night Shade Books. The cover has the main character's wife on it showing her body long scar. The intended reader is someone who likes Lovecraftian horror and older protagonists. There is foul language, some sex, and violence in this novel. The story is told from third person close of the main character, Donald. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the dust jacket- Strange things exist on the periphery of our existence, haunting us from the darkness looming beyond our firelight. Black magic, weird cults and worse things loom in the shadows. The Children of Old Leech have been with us from time immemorial. And they love us...
Donald Miller, geologist and academic, has walked along the edge of a chasm for most of his nearly eighty years, leading a charmed life between endearing absent-mindedness and sanity-shattering realization. Now, all things must converge. Donald will discover the dark secrets along the edges, unearthing savage truths about his wife, Michelle, their adult twins, and all he knows and trusts. For Donald is about to stumble on the secret of the Croning. 

Review- This is an unusual horror novel as it not only the main character an old man, he's 80 in the present of the novel, the novel also moves back in time to fill in the gaps in his memory. Donald Miller has been married to the love of his life for almost 60 years, his children are grown, and he is just trying not to forget everything in his life. But strange things have happened around him and keep happening and Donald knows that there is more than he can remember. The time jumps happen at the beginning of new chapters, so the reader knows when and where they are. Donald is a good main character, he reacts to the strange things with reason and when reason does not explain them, he runs from them. The gaps in Donald's memory are not used to annoy the reader but make the reader understand what has been haunting and hunting Donald all his life. The horror is a slow build so when Donald and the reader understand everything, it is chilling. If you are a fan of Lovecraft and his style of slow horror, then you need to try this novel out.

I give this novel a Four out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I borrowed this novel from my local library.

Goddess of Filth

Today's post is on Goddess of Filth by V. Castro. It is 141 pages long and is published by Creature Publishing. The cover has a double exposure of a woman's face. The intended reader is someone who likes modern horror. There is foul language, sex, and violence in this novella. The story is from first and third person perspective depending on the character. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- One hot summer night, best friends Lourdes, Fernanda, Ana, Perla, and Pauline hold a séance. It's all fun and games at first, but their tipsy laughter turns to terror when the flames burns straight through their prayer candles and Fernanda starts crawling toward her friends and chanting in Nahuatl, the language of their Aztec ancestors. 
Over the next few weeks, shy, modest Fernanda starts acting strangely- smearing herself in black makeup, shredding her hands on rose thorns, sucking sin out of the mouths of the guilty. The local priest is convinced it's a demon, but Lourdes begins to suspect it's something else- something far more ancient and powerful.

Review- A quick read about some young women learning about their own power with the help of an ancient goddess. Lourdes and her friends are just searching for someone to listen to them and their pain and when just playing around, they summon an ancient goddess of women, children, and filth. The goddess and Fernanda have things in common and thus Fernanda makes a good home for the goddess. Then the goddess starting doing what she was worshipped for, she is many things but a sin eater is one of her most important actions. Add in a mystery about women in their neighborhood going missing, the priest being very weird, and other problems that women have in general, then you have the plot. The different perspectives of first person of Lourdes and third person for Fernanda and the goddess was a good way to tell this story, it helps the reader know where and when they are. Castro is a good writer and I look forward to reading more of her work. 

I give this novella a Four out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I borrowed this novel from my local library.