Whistle by Linwood Barclay

I expect an excellently plotted suspense thriller from Linwood Barclay, so I was pleasantly surprised to see he has switched genres. This latest book is a paranormal horror story with all the tension and pacing one gets with a good thriller. 

Annie's life is in freefall. First, her husband is killed in a hit-and-run accident, and then a young reader of her popular children's book series tragically dies. Seeking solace, she and her young son Charlie move from New York City to a small town in upstate New York. All seems fine until Charlie discovers a model train set in a shed. Mysterious events begin, and their retreat no longer looks so idyllic. 

Two months after September 11, 2001, a new store opened on Main Street in the small town of Lucknow, Vermont. Run by an eccentric man known as Edwin Choo, the store offers model train sets that appeal to young and old alike. When people and pets begin disappearing, police chief Harry Cook notices a pattern related to Mr. Choo. Could he be more than he appears?

Switching back and forth in time between Annie and Harry, Barclay expertly leads the reader through a maze of paranormal circumstances that tie the two storylines together. Whistle is a dark and creepy read with interesting characters and plot twists. I hope Mr. Barclay continues to explore this new, darker side. 

5/5 stars.

Thank you, NetGalley and William Morrow, for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. The publication date is May 20, 2025.

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The Man Made of Smoke by Alex North

 

Alex North never fails to deliver a tense, dark mystery, and The Man Made of Smoke is one of his best yet. Its signature, intricate plotline is an introspective look into the mind of a serial killer and his victims.

Dan Garvie returns to his childhood home on a small island when his father disappears under mysterious circumstances. He finds that his father had been researching a cold case involving a serial who abducted young boys, a case that touched Dan's and several other lives. When some of those on the periphery of the case are murdered or missing, Dan's investigation puts his own life in danger.

This is a well-written novel full of suspense and intrigue. It is fast-paced and packed with interesting characters and a purely evil antagonist. Told with flashbacks and multiple points of view, North does an excellent job of revealing the connections between the past and present and the delicate relationship between father and son. I was hooked from the beginning and captivated by this atmospheric psychological thriller. 

5/5 stars.

Thank you, NetGalley and Celadon Books, for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. The publication date is May 13, 2025.

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Horror Movie by Paul Trembla;y

 I loved Paul Tremblay's "The Cabin at the End of the World" and "Survivor Song" and liked "A Head Full of Ghosts" but didn't care for "The Pallbearers Club." So, I didn't know what to expect going into "Horror Movie." The premise sounded intriguing, but unfortunately, the execution didn't quite live up to my expectations.

Thirty years ago, a small group of twenty-something filmmakers decided to make a horror movie on a shoestring budget. Although the film was completed, it was never fully released--only parts were uploaded to YouTube, just enough to gain a cult following. Now, Hollywood has decided to "reboot" the film on a much bigger scale. Only one of the original cast members is still alive, and he has been recruited as a consultant and to reprise parts of his role as "The Thin Kid.” Will this version successfully live up to the fanbase's expectations? And, what is more important, will the cast members survive the filming?

Spanning two timelines and incorporating the original script into the storyline, Tremblay does a tightrope walk between the filming of both versions of the "Horror Movie." The book slowly reveals what happened to the original cast members—sometimes a bit too slowly. Told in the first person by "The Thin Kid," there are times when the level of detail is overwhelming, spanning multiple pages. I skimmed parts because they didn't seem to move the story forward. The story also bogged down in the middle, but the ending was satisfying enough to overcome both problems. I liked this book, but it doesn't rank up there with some of Tremblay's other novels. 

3/5 stars.

Thank you, NetGalley and William Morrow, for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. The publication date is June 11, 2024.

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Ghost Station by S.A. Barnes

This is the first book by this author I've read, and although it's a slow starter, it turned out to be a good science fiction story about planet exploration and the perils it involves.

Ophelia Bray is a psychotherapist assigned to a Reclamation and Exploration Team to map and explore a planet whose salvageable rights have just been acquired. Her goal is to detect the early warning signs of Eckhart-Reiser syndrome (ERS), a condition that, if it is not caught early, can cause psychotic breaks, violence, and insanity. Along with her own emotional baggage, the team she joins has just suffered the traumatic loss of a crewmember and resents Ophelia's inclusion on this mission. She must overcome her own demons and try to win over the crew if she will be of help.

Once on the planet, crewmembers begin displaying unusual behavioral systems that may or may not be associated with ERS. It's up to Ophelia to figure out what is happening before she, too, is affected.

The book's first third is a slog as Ophelia seems to psychoanalyze every situation and individual, including herself. However, the pace picks up once the action starts on the planet, and this turns into an exciting action-adventure read. It is an atmospheric story with a touch of horror thrown in to keep things interesting. Overall, I enjoyed this book.

 4/5 stars.

Thank you, NetGalley and Tor Nightfire, for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. The publication date is April 9, 2024.

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Among the Living by Tim Lebbon

I read Tim Lebbon's post-apocalyptic book "The Last Storm" and loved it. It had a fascinating storyline that could convincingly be true--the same can be said of this book. It's another futuristic peek into what could happen to the world due to global warming.

Global warming has thawed the permafrost on a remote Arctic island, and a group of profiteers, illegally prospecting for rare earth metals, discover frightening drawings on a cave wall that appear to be a warning that is thousands of years old. Venturing further into the cave system, the group encounters an ancient creature and unwittingly unleashes an intelligent contagion that could wreak havoc if it isn't contained.

Alerted to the profiteer's intentions, three activists pursue the group to the island, intent on stopping them. Unfortunately, they arrived too late, and now the two different-minded groups must combine their efforts to stop the contagion.

This fast-paced horror thriller explores moral and climate crisis issues with excellently drawn characters and a scenario that isn't beyond belief. Who knows what a warming earth holds in store for us? This is an imaginative future I hope we can prevent.

Thank you, Titan Books, for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. The publication date is February 6, 2024. 

4/5 stars.

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Holly by Stephen King

First introduced in his book Mr. Mercedes, King returns Holly Gibney at her most appealing best. She has grown as a character and is much more relatable in this outing.

Set during the Covid-19 pandemic, Holly's partner at the Finders Keepers detective agency has contracted the virus and the agency is all but shut down. Holly's mother--a Covid denier--has just died of the virus so between her grief and her hyper-awareness of the virus, Holly is looking for something to distract herself when Penny Dahl calls and begs her to find her missing daughter, Bonnie; she takes the case.

Professors Emeritus Rodney and Emily Harris are not going gently into old age. Indeed, they have a theory to prevent their maladies that involves Bonnie and perhaps others who have gone missing. With the police relinquishing control of the missing persons cases, Holly steps in to try and solve them, but at what cost?

Although this can be categorized as a horror novel, to me it was more of a suspense read. Sure, there are the expected King gruesome elements, but this is more an exploration of pure evil rather than anything supernatural. Holly herself emerges as a character with stronger metal than her shy, introverted self as depicted in earlier novels and much more likable. There is also a tease that there may be more books featuring Holly ahead to which I say, bring it on! 5/5 stars.

Related books: Mr. Mercedes; Finders Keepers; End of Watch; The Outsider.

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The Stranger Upstairs by Lisa M. Matlin

 I'm always searching for new authors and finding this debut novel by an Australian author piqued my interest even more. Based on this promising book, I will add Matlin to my list of authors to follow.

Sarah Slade is a therapist and best-selling self-help author whose own marriage is in shambles. When she and her husband buy a run-down Victorian house where a gruesome murder occurred 40 years ago, Sarah hopes to restore it and flip it for a profit. She doesn't count on the hostile neighbors who want the house demolished, not restored, and the creepy feeling the house emanates. When odd things begin happening both to her and the contractors working on her house, she begins to wonder if the stories about the house are true: is it haunted?

I found the story a bit uneven at times, but overall this was a satisfying read. Although Sarah increasingly is captivated, if not captured by the house, her personality begins to change--or maybe it's revealing her true self. In any event, she becomes an increasingly unlikeable character whose decisions become poorer as events spiral out of her control. I think this is a good atmospheric novel and I look forward to more from Matlin.

Thank you NetGalley and Bantam publishers for an advance copy of this book n exchange for an honest review. These opinions are my own. The publication date is September 12, 2023.

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The Night House by Jo Nesbo

 

I don't think Jo Nesbo can write anything but captivating stories with excellent characters. This book is no exception but it differs from his Harry Hole series or his other standalone books in its structure and genre.

After Fourteen-year-old Richard Elauved's parents die in a house fire, he goes to live with his aunt and uncle in the tiny town of Ballantyne, but he has problems adjusting to his new environment and classmates. Viewed as an outcast, Richard befriends fellow outcast Tom, who goes missing after he and Richard were last seen together. Richard swears Tom was eaten by a telephone after making a prank call. It's no small wonder that the police do not believe him. When another classmate goes missing after being in Richard's company, suspicion rises. Richard is convinced a long-abandoned house on the edge of a creepy forest is somehow responsible for his missing classmates, but how to prove it?

This is a horror story, not a police procedural. and it's great to see Nesbo playing around with a different genre. As usual, the writing and the characters are outstanding in this atmospheric novel. It is a story within a story and its structure and content may not appeal to all, but if you enjoy good storytelling, this book is just the ticket.

Thanks to NetGalley and Knopf for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. The publication date is October 3, 2023.

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