It's a Mystery!

Eugene and his sister Barbie are living in poverty with a neglectful mother who would rather spend time with her "friends", than feed or care for her children. Basically, the two siblings only have each other, and Eugene does his best to look after Barbie. Their lives are drastically changed when Eugene has a chance meeting with a beautiful and mysterious woman, Penelope Embers.

House of Shadows is written in a first person narrative. Which was fine with me as I really enjoyed Eugene's character. Penelope immediatley takes a liking to both siblings, and seems to be the only adult that cares about their current living conditions. So, she strikes a deal with Eugene that she will help provide the things both siblings will need during their school years - under the guise of a charity. At this point Penelope is out of the picture, but they regularly recieve their packages of clothing and books. All the while, Eugene is hoping to see the mysterious woman again. When Penelope returns, Eugene gets a lot more than he bargained for. I'll leave it at that.

I must admit the end felt a tad rushed, but that didn't affect my overall enjoyment of the story. This was definitely a different take on vampires, and I'm looking forward to the sequel.

I'll start by saying.. Pete and Clyde are two of the biggest asshats! I had to get that off my chest..

A year after their father's death, Ben and Clyde are planning a fishing trip to Palacios, Texas. Meeting their Uncle Pete for the first time. What should be a fun time for the two brother's and their friends - turns into a parasitic nightmare at sea.

This is a short novel, but you get a good feel for each character. I liked Ben and his best friend, Gentry. You have the two stoner's thrown in the mix, and Clyde's girlfriend - she comes off as a real doormat in the beginning. As for Uncle Pete and Clyde.. you know how I feel about those two.

Once out to sea, the gore doesn't let up. These are some disgusting parasites. Barnacles that click as they open and close with flailing black tentacles. Pretty nasty when they've attached to a host. Parasite Deep might not be everyone's cup of tea - due to some of the content, but I enjoyed this horrifying tale. 4 stars.

Jeff Coyne is in need of a fresh start after his breakdown. With the support of his girlfreind, Vanessa, and his best freind, Sten - he moves to the small village of Thorston. Soon after the move, Jeff disappears. Sten and Vanessa are left to uncover Thorston's dark past, for fear that Jeff's life hangs in the balance.

Things start to go pretty much down hill for Jeff as he is settling into his new home. Starting with an odd encounter with a seemingly crazy neighbor, and an incident at the local pub. Vanessa hasn't heard from him in a week. So, naturally, Sten and Vanessa head to Thorston to find out what the hell is going on. They quickly find out, according to the village residents, that Jeff was exhibiting some strange behavior before he disappeared. Apparently, he was up to no good - this information was a little too vague. I don't know... maybe it's just me. I wanted a clearer picture as to why this cat went completely off the rails.

Moving on. So, Sten finds out there was some secret society thing going on here. They were called the "Officers", formed by families long standing in the village. Without giving too much away, this eventually ties into whats going on with Jeff, and the evil lurking beneath the surface (or, shall I say doorways) of the village.

This was a bit of mystery/horror rolled into one. Definitely some gruesome deaths and creepy scenes. The pace really picks up towards the end. Although, I found certain areas a little vague and confusing - I was satisfied with the conclusion. A solid 3 star read.

After reading The Narrows (which I thoroughly enjoyed),  I was really looking forward to another great read by Ronald Malfi. Well, what a bummer..

Kelly is estranged from her family and living in Manhattan, when she gets a call from her father's "associate", that her sister, Becky, has had an accident. When she returns to the family compound, its pretty clear at this point she will have to confront her past to save her sister.

Kelly is a hot mess. And, rightfully so. She has completely suppressed the childhood trauma that caused her parent's admitting her into an Institution for three years. With nary a visit from her family. Of course, there will be a great deal of anxiety when trying to come to terms with a past she has spent her life running away from. I get that. But, Kelly spends a lot of time in the throws of many panic attacks. In which she has a strong painful need to urinate. In fact, she repeatedly urinates all over herself. I put my kindle down several times, and thought..  really, again? There was all kinds of repetition going on here. 

I'm not even going to get into the subplot. I slogged through a lot of... again,  unnecessary repetition. I just didn't care about any of these characters. 

Despite my feelings on this book, I will read more of Ronald Malfi's work in the future. This one just didn't do it for me.