My introduction to horror literature was via a hard cover edition of " The Shining " by Stephen King.  I feel that one of the first books reviewed during The Corner's relaunch should be by him as well. Mike Noonan, experiencing nightmares about his deceased wife's hometown, moves there to confront his fears at the source.  Soon however, he finds that the nightmares are real... and leading him to face ghosts from his and the town's past... This is one of the tightest, most emotionally intense books written by King.  It's on par with " The Shining" for mood, setting, and scares.  It flows smoothly along- building slowly but inevitably.  Once I began reading, I could not stop- I had to keep going until the end. Even then, I had troubles stopping myself from dwelling on it- especially how it treats the themes of grief, and how even when you've known someone for years- they can still surprise you. The characters are equally well crafted in...

In my spare time, I enjoy collecting comics.  Fortunately, for you- there are quite a few horror comics out there... During the late 19th century, a vicious killer by the name of Jack the Ripper stalked the alleys of Whitechaple- bringing death, fear, and an undying legend to the annals of history. This is his story.. . Alan Moore is known in the comic world for amazing stories:  " Watchmen ", " V for Vendetta ", and " The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen ".  He continues that trend with " From Hell ".  The story is interesting, engaging, and flows smoothly, while presenting us with a unique look at the legend of Jack the Ripper.  The characters are well crafted, and fascinating.  There are numerous historical references made that add depth and texture to the plot. The art is great.  It plays nicely with shadows and textures to create a very suspenseful mood.  The sketchy nature of the drawings reflects the dirty, dingy atmosphere o...

One of the things that horror does, is take something we often WISH for- and make us rethink that wish... After Bill Halleck accidentally runs over an old gypsy woman, a simple word is whispered to him- and his life becomes a living hell. The word is, "Thinner"... This book is one of Stephen King's earlier books, written under the name "Richard Bachman", but isn't what I would consider one of his better novels. The premise is interesting.  The old gypsy guy and the "fixer" friend of Halleck's are interesting.  The writing style isn't bad, and there's a decent flow to the words. The fault isn't with those things.  Rather, the problem for me lies in the character of Halleck, and the pace of the story.  I had zero sympathy for Halleck, so felt no real tension on his behalf.  Maybe if he had some redeeming qualities, and felt real remorse for what he did, then I might not have minded the slow pacing of the story.  As it was...

Welcome to the first review for 2014!  Woo Hoo! I was approached by Lori Kay about review her book, " Glint in the Dark ", and she even sent me a nice hard copy version of it.  It's taken a little while due to one thing after another happening in my Life- but I've finally been able to sit down and write up the review. Glint is a rock star with a dark past.  Unexpected coincidences soon bring him to the attention of radio station owner Grant Templeton.  Grant begins a journey to find out the source of Glint's success... and what connection he has to the death of his daughter years previously... While there are some horror elements in this story, it's more a dramatic one than a simple horror story.  It's about finding closure after the tragic death of a loved one, and the path that Justice can sometimes take in order to be served.  Those two themes add a nice depth to the story, and puts it above most in the genre. The writing style is fairly smoo...

Zombies are the big rage right now.  Movies, protests in the form of Zombie Walks, games, and books... " Zombies: The Complete Guide to the World of the Living Dead " by Zachary Graves explores they history and evolution of zombies- from their Voodoo origins as undead slaves through to the hungry undead rising up due to a virus or other causes.  It covers the myths and superstitions surrounding zombies, as well as real cases of purported voodoo creates zombies.  This book also discuss how movies and books have helped the zombie to evolve into one of our favorite monsters- including a look at Frankentein's monster. This book isn't very long, but is full of interesting information and is a great starting point for zombie afficionados, who wish to learn more about this genre of monster mythology.  It's logically broken down into sections that are laid out in an easy to read and digest fashion.  While far from being a truly "complete" guide to zombies...

I have found over the years, that sometimes, reality can be more horrific than fiction.  This can truly be said of the Jack the Ripper killings... Using forensic techniques, Patricia Cornwell (author of the Scarpetta series), pieces together a case regarding the true identity of the infamous Jack the Ripper ... " Portrait of a Killer " is an interesting piece of non-fiction writing.  The style is fairly easy to follow, though some areas are a bit murky to understand due to use of technical jargon.  Cornwell's writing also flows nicely  too- with her being able to make even the drier parts interesting and engaging. I liked the fact that she goes to to out of the way places in search of evidence to support her case, and she does a credible job of it too.  Credible, but not altogether convincing.  While her presentation of the evidence is persuasive and skilled, there is still reasonable doubt as to whether or not her suspect was actually Jack the Rip...

Vampires and witches are often a good basis for a horror novel.  Through in the Spanish Inquisition, and odds are you'll get a pretty good story. In 1496, while the Spanish Inquisition is in full motion, Diego  de Villanueva is seeking a way to rise through the ranks of the Inquistion.  He will do anything he needs to... even use his brother's darkest secrets and knowledge to bring fear and hatred to the world... " The Black Castle " caught my  eye while shopping at " The Book Place ".  I was intrigued by the idea of it taking place during the Spanish Inquisition.  While I did enjoy reading this book, I was also a little disappointed. The style is very fitting to the story- it has an almost old world charm and rythm to it that I found pleasing to the ear.  It's also easy to read, and flows at a nice pace.  While, it's not "fancy", the images it creates are fairly good and atmospheric. The story itself is a really interesting idea....

Aliens are sometimes used in the world of horror to scare us- tales of abductions and experiments, invasions, and even using us a big game.  Sometimes, however, the truth is just simple bafflement and mystery... In 1965, the town of Exeter, New Hampshire, a series of unidentified flying objects started to be reported.  John G Fuller investigates this mysterious case of possible alien visitation. " Incident at Exeter " is an interesting look at the UFO phenomena.  Through the use of interviews with witnesses, transcripts of reports to authorities, and even visits to the locations of sightings, Fuller takes you on a personal trip in order to make sense of what was seen. The writing style is very straight forward and easy to follow.  Rather than being dry as many books about UFO's can be, this book has touches of humour and insight as Fuller expresses the various thoughts and theories he runs through in order to figure out the truth.  The rythm and flow is ...

  I've been looking for a decent werewolf novel to help balance all the vampire ones that are currenty proliferating the bookcases.  While cruising my favorite store, I found one that promised to be interesting.   Janos is a man who can not remember his past- he's not even sure Janos is his real name.  All he knows is that he's a werewolf... and wants to die.  Soon however, he'll learn that he's more than just a werewolf.  He's going to discover that he's part of a neo-facist plan to bring about the domination of the world...   I was really hoping that " The Mark of the Werewolf " was going to be a really intense, and suspenseful book about a werewolf as he eludes capture and wreaks ferocious revenge upon those that wish to do him wrong.  What I got was an interesting look at what it might be like to be immortal, with a dash of theology in the mix.   The story isn't bad, but not great.  It kinda reads like a werewol...

Across the cultures, there abound tales of people transforming into animals and stalking the wood.  Such tales have been used to illustrate the duality of humanity... and simply to make you feel uneasy walking in the woods... Campers have been found mutilated in the woods near an Indian Reservation.  Legends about a spirit that transforms people into bloody thirsty bears are being whispered... and one man races to save the soul of the woman he loves from an ancient evil... " Crooked Tree " isn't that bad of a book.  It's not great, but is a decently diverting read.  The story has a good flow to it, and follows a fairly simple and logical progression of events, while still having a nice building of suspense throughout it.  The characters are interesting, relatable, and actually have roles other than gore fodder.  The characters aren't wasted, and used quiet well. I loved the idea of using an old legend of the First Nations as the premise for th...

One of the staples of horror stories is that often, the past returns to haunt and torment the characters involved.  One such story of the past reaching into the present for revenge is " Nathaniel " by John Saul... After the death of his father under mysterious circumstances, Michael Hall and his mother move to Prairie Bend to spend time with his grandparents.  Soon, a voice starts to whisper to him from the shadowy ruins of a barn- propelling him to discover why the town is so fearful of births... and who Nathaniel is ... John Saul, in my opinion is on the same level as Stephen King when it comes to writing horror fiction- though his stories are a bit more subtle, and build at a slower pace.  I really quite enjoyed " Nathaniel ". First off, the style is very atmospheric and moody, without exagerating the details.  Saul doesn't paint every errie detail, but allows the reader to let their imagination creep along the dimly lit hallway to the door where the ...

In addition to horror fiction, I enjoy reading non-fiction works about the paranormal.  One such book is " The Devil in Connecticut " by Gerald Brittle. David Glatzel was an average, American boy... until the first day of July 1980.  Soon after, strange sounds can be heard, then sinister shapes are seen.  Shortly it would seem that Hell itself had been unleashed in the small Glatzel household in Connecticut ... This book covers a case of demonic possession that famed demonologist Ed and Lorraine Warren investigated in the 1980's- a case that would ultimate finish in what came to be called " The Demon Murder Trial ". It details the events that occur as the case evolves through the generally accepted phases of demonic activity, weaving the details into an engaging story. The style of writing is fairly easy to follow, and straight forward.  There is some artistic license used to portray the mood and atmosphere of the events taking place, but it's not o...

One of the things that horror stories are supposed to do is take the things we take for granted, and use them to make us wonder about how secure our lives really are... Carlotta Moran is a simple mother trying to raise her two children, and make ends meet.  A single, night of violence by an unseen assailant changes everything in Carlotta's life.  Soon, she won't know what's real, what's imaginary- where it's safe, or where it's dangerous.  Is the terror stalking her every night spawned by demonic forces... or is it something much closer to home? I'd seen the cover for this book many years ago, and was interested in that fact that it was supposed to have been based on a real case of sexual spectral assault.  At the time I first saw it, I wasn't sure how explicit it was, since I was only about thirteen or so.  Well, after years of being curious about it, I finally got the chance to buy and read it a few months ago. While, I have some quibbles with...

Sometimes, reality can be much more creepier and macabre than anything you find in a horror novel or movie... " Necropolis: London and Its Dead ," by Catharine Arnold is a wonderful examination of how the City of London has dealt with the question of burying its dead.  From prehistory, through Roman times, up through the Plague years, to the more recent Victorian era, the way London has dealt with the remains of its dead citizens has evolved... sometimes with a morbid twist. I had a hard time putting this book down once I started reading it.  The style is easy to follow, and flows smoothly from one subject to another- almost like a conversation at times.  She covers such things as Daniel Dafoe's observations of the Plague Pits, and what was done with Plague victims when they died, the emergence of the body snatchers who supplied medical schools with cadavers (few questions asked), and the beginnings of the funeral industry.  Arnold meshes all of these things, a...

I find horror novels that start out gently and proceed to increase the roughness and intesity as the story goes along quiet satisfying company on those cold, dark nights where the flickering light of the candle causes soft shadows to dance in the corners of my room.  Helps to remind me that the dark has yet to reveal all of its secrets to me... much like the darkness inside us keeps its own secrets tightly within its grasp... Pandora Ellis has been invited to spend the summer at her great aunt Rachel's estate while her parents take time to mend their marriage.  From the moment she steps foot inside of "Savannah," she is confronted by mysterious occurances.  Occurances that may lead her to solving the secret of Rachel's suprisingly youthful appearance... but with the price being her very soul... Philip Caveney is a British author that started writing children's books in 2007.  Before that, however, he wrote adult thrillers- including " The Sings of Rach...

One of the things horror does is touch on topics that make us uneasy and show us things that could possibly happen.  The best ones work when there is a history of such things happening in real life... The small town of Powellton is a quite town where everyone knows pretty much everyone.  The sort of place where a couple like Steve and Felicia McKenzie could settle down and raise a family in relative safety and comfort.  At least until the animals start acting funny, adults start getting headaches, and the children come down with a flu.  Soon, the idealic town of Powellton will be thrust into a hurricane... a hurricane of rain and wind... and unspeakable rage... " Shadow Play " is one of those books that carries you along as its characters try to deal with the growing chaos around them.  The writing style is smooth, and fluid- while being plain speaking at the same time.  It  doesn't waste your time with useless details or red herrings.  Ever...

We all have neighbours that are a little peculiar, right?  Well... some are a little more "peculiar" than others... Marilyn had what she thought was the ideal life:  loving husband and child, and a house decorated with only the finest antiques you could find.  The day that parapalegic Christine and her husband moved in next door, things started to go wrong with her orderly, perfect world.  Soon, Marilyn would find herself confronted by a hate so powerful that it reached from her past to close in on her and her "perfect" life ... The back of " The Woman Next Door " sounded interesting- and I'm always looking for interesting books in the horror genre, so I bought this one hoping to enjoy a quiet night of eerie, creeping horror. While there are moments that I liked in this book, I was ultimately disappointed in it.  The writing style isn't bad- it flows nicely and was capable of creating a decent sense of mood and atmosphere.  The premise and...

I don't think a true fan of the horror genre would neglect to appreciate the historical development of horror in literature as it grew from simple folklore in the form of fairy tales (let's face it- Grimms' Fairy Tales are downright scary in their original forms) to a stories specifically created to entertain in the form of books.  One of these such tales is, " Frankenstein; or The Modern Prometheus ". Victor Frankenstein has been obsessed since childhood with the desire to discover the secret of Life.  After having used parts disected from human corpses... and possibly animal as well, he is finally ready to test his theories and attempt to bring his creation to life.  As he looks upon his creature, the reality of what he's done horrifies him- causing him to abandon his creation and flee.  Racked with anger, Frankenstein's creation begins a campaign of terror against his creator... and dogs his every step to the ends of the earth. Those that are fans...