Book Reviews: October 2021

It’s that time again: book reviews! This month I stuck with a spooky theme in honor of my favorite holiday, Halloween!

The book images link directly to the Amazon page for each, and additional information (or links to buy) can be found on the author websites, listed at the end of each review. The books are listed in the order I read them.

And before we get into the reviews themselves, please note that I’ve made an update to my website. Every book featured on my blog (even those from past posts) are now listed on my brand-new Book Reviews page. You can take a look at it here.

Please note: The opinions below are my own. Writing is subjective to the reader, and not everyone will share my conclusions about the books listed below.

Between Worlds – Jacqueline E. Smith

Note: This is book two in a series. I read the first book, Cemetery Tours, a few months ago and featured it on my blog. You can read my review for the first book here.

A group of ghost hunters make their way to an old mansion on the coast of Maine to investigate a potential haunting. Residents believe it’s the spirit of the mansion’s builder—or his wife—but the investigation takes an unexpected turn as the group unravels the tragic love story of the pair.

Even though Between Worlds is book two in the series, I believe it can be read as a standalone novel. The characters were introduced in the first book, but this story is complete in its own right. It was a quick, fun read with some intrigue and a good dose of humor.

The author has a lighthearted style of writing with witty dialog. There were a number of times I found myself laughing aloud. I said this in my first review, and it still holds true: I love Brink! He’s the ghost roommate/best friend of one of the main characters and has some of the funniest lines in both books. If you’re into ghost hunting or tales of the paranormal, I’d recommend giving this series a read.

Author Website: windtrailpublishing.com

Darke Blood – Lee Hall

Note: This book is part of The Order of the Fallen series. I reviewed the first book, Open Evening, a few months ago and featured it on my blog. You can read my review for the first book here.

The small town of Darke Heath is beset with a nightly problem: vampires and their minions stalk the streets. Blake, a newcomer to the town, is thrown into the midst of the trouble, only to find that the vampires are also at war with one another. He makes an unlikely ally of Caitlyn, a vampire in opposition to the blood-sucking variety that haunt the forest outside of town.

Much like the first book, Darke Blood has some of the feel of the mid-1990’s – Buffy the Vampire Slayer comes to mind. It’s a fast-paced, entertaining read with a lot of action. I didn’t feel Darke Blood was as polished as the first book in the series, and at times the story felt a bit rushed. If you can get past that, it’s a fun book. It ends on a bit of a cliffhanger – but there are two more books in the series, so it’s not unexpected.

The main character is not the same featured in Open Evening, and it’s not immediately clear how the two books are connected. However, as the book progresses there are some hints of the creatures that terrorized Open Evening, and toward the end it’s finally revealed why this is part of the series (that’s all I will say: no spoilers.)

Author Website: leehallwriter.com

Into the Dark – Robert “The Hook” Hookey

Told from the perspective of a telekinetic superhero with a snarky attitude, Into the Dark is a story of one group’s attempt to overthrow The Dark (as the name suggests, they’re the bad guys), and bring some good back into the world. There are more than superheroes in the cast too—you’ll meet angels, demons, witches, and more.

This is one of the funniest books I’ve read in a while. Between the pop culture references and the witty banter that ensues between characters, I found myself laughing every few pages. There’s plenty of action, too, and a crazy, yet engaging story that captured my attention from page one. I’m always looking for books with an unpredictable storyline, and this one is about as unpredictable as they come. I never knew what was going to happen next, which I absolutely loved.

Into the Dark is book one in a series, and it ends on a cliffhanger – a very major cliffhanger. Since the second book is not yet available, it looks like I’ll be waiting a bit to find out how the story continues. Regardless, it was a very entertaining read.

Author’s Twitter Page: @TheTerribleHook

Sacrilege – Barbara Avon

Note: A special thanks to the author for my copy of this book. I won the paperback in a drawing. (That was very exciting – I rarely win anything!)

Sacrilege is the story of a former priest running from his own personal demons only to collide with ghosts from his past. He meets a woman who runs a boarding house who has dark secrets of her own, and the two find themselves connected weeks later by a senseless act of violence. Things only go downhill from there…

The book is set in the early 1980s, and I loved how authentic the author made the story feel for the time period. (I definitely had a few moments of nostalgia while reading.) It was very well done.

I was never quite sure which way the story was going to progress. That element of the unknown was captivating, and I could not put this book down. It was beautifully written, but so very tragic. I’ll be thinking about the ending for some time.

Author Website: barbaraavon.com

The Divided – Suzanne Burrows

A pair of sisters meet up at a hotel for a tense reunion, only to find the location of their holiday was once an asylum. Strange occurrences haunt them and threaten to throw their meeting into further disarray. The asylum was a terrible place; patients were experimented on, tortured, and often killed.

The story bounces between Amy in the present day, and Eliza from the past. Amy is one of the sisters mentioned, while Eliza was a “patient” at the asylum. Eliza was forced to experience the horrors of the place first-hand, and though she was something of a survivor, events take place that alter her perspective on reality for the worse. Amy is a sensitive and is inundated with visions from the asylum’s past soon after her arrival at the hotel. At first her sister refuses to believe what is happening, but it takes only a few days before she realizes the truth. The hotel is haunted – and not only by ghosts.

The story is well crafted and the creep factor is high throughout. It kept me guessing right up until the very end (though I found the ending to be a little rushed). A great read, perfect for the spooky season!

Author Website: suzanneburrows.co.uk

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Have a book you’d like me to read and review? Contact me here! (I’m a fan of science fiction, fantasy, paranormal, thrillers, horror, suspense, and the like. I’m currently setting up my reading list for December 2021 and beyond.)