horror, humor and Lorelei
343852
This vastly talented author has taken horror back to some of the old school writers like Barker.  I love her diabolical humor and feel like I know some of the characters from nightmares past.  You cannot go wrong with Lorelei Shannon.
4885190
Her character is hilarious and I can relate to, even being a paranormal character. Can't wait to read more stories with these characters.
3938233
This book had me at page one and kept me. I've never seen a better mix of comedy and horror in any written work. I recommend this to anyone who has a sense of humor and an intrigue into Silent Hill-esque, nightmarish horror.
2514029
Going from dark comedy to all out horror, and just the plain twisted, John Dies at the End finds a strange mix of funny wierd and funny ha ha, but ends up blending them together (quite well) for a fun read. You follow the book through the thoughts of Dave as he contends with the paranormal, along with his good friend John and a dog that just doesn't seem to know how to stay dead.

You will find yourself scared to death, and laughing your ass off the next.
3097150
Ghostly cornfield apparitions, a hulking monster, pentagon-patterned crop circles, dismembered bodies, and eerie light beams from the sky all combine in this creepy novella that made for an engaging read. I enjoyed the female protagonist since she wasn't your typical blond-haired, screaming airhead but kept her wits about her as best she could, and I found the dialogue realistic for the most part until all hell broke loose at the close. One of the better horror shorts I've read of late (this being the season were I concentrate mainly reading/reviewing horror books) and definitely an author I want to read of more. Very good book and I did enjoy!
2344915
If you love horror movies like Salem's Lot, Fright Night, and Vamp, plus plenty of nods to other classics of that era, you'll get a kick out of this steamy novel. It's part horror, part humor, and very hot, and the author, who seems more inspired by horror movies than horror books, never takes himself too seriously while delivering a nicely paced page-turner. It's also refreshing to read a novel in which the main characters aren't all pretty boys, and the main relationship is between a big old bear and an Asian cutie!

Based on the other review here on amazon, I'm definitely going to check out some of his other books.
4688468
I couldn't put down this book once I started it. The characters are so well-defined and believable. I found myself cheering for Lorelei during her coming of age period of life. What a strong woman to overcome such an upbringing. Hope there's a sequel in the making. I'd like to know more about Lorelei and Jewel, her sister. Highly recommend this book.
2420609
Rhiannon Frater has gained my respect when it comes to gothic horror, because its not easy to pull it off. Sometimes books are too moody or completely forget that it needs to have a dark mood and go for gore. Frater does it well and its fantastic to have a serial series in the genre.
I read these each separately and the wait in between was torture because I needed to know, and I think now that Ive read the entire first season I would love to read it all again at once. Each episode was well crafted with the right amount of creeping horror and raw emotion, and each one found a new way to pull you in even more.
I really loved Vanora and how we get to know her over the course of her life, from a incredibly smart and quirky child to a lovely and surprisingly strong young woman. Then there is Armando and oh my *fans self* he is utterly fantastic. He has an old world charm and an air of danger about him that I really loved in comparison to the other characters. The family dynamic is wonderful and heartfelt, and I loved their closeness.
To give you an idea of my reaction to reading an episode of this I give you a quote from my review of Episode 5: AH! That is a scream that holds every emotion Im feeling right now in it. There is the slightly excited squeal, the frustrated table flipping growl, and the pained gasp. Rhiannon should be proud of herself, because she somehow managed to make me a veritable rainbow of emotion in the hour it took me to read this. To me that sums up so much of this first season.
If you're looking for a fast paced gothic horror novel with some really wonderful relationships then I urge you to try out Fraters In Darkness We Must Abide serial.
4113866
I loved this collection of macabre short stories.  Though I am not usually fond of horror, there was enough of a blend of the "normal" with twists of the macabre that it was very entertaining to read without scaring me to death!  It was like reading episodes of "The Twilight Zone."  I highly recommend it.
566664
I'm a huge fan of horror, but not that big a fan of your typical Holywood horror-comedy. Eddie is funny, endearing and thought-provoking... and gory. Although it's not the unwarranted type of gore you see in the Walking Dead. It's a fun ride. I loved the unstated question - what would happen if you met your muse but your muse is a sleepwalking cannibal? Also my favorite exchange in the movie is: Lars: "He eats small animals in his sleep?" Leslie: "It's not as bad as it sounds." Lars: "...it sounds pretty bad..." Watch it, enjoy it, dare to laugh.
4122062
Breezy wakes up dead. She has no memory of how it happened or why, one year later, she rose up. The dead guy she killed with her touch is a mystery to her. Why was he digging her up? Did he kill her? What did he want from her?

Breezy must hide what she is as she unravels the mystery of her death and why she came back from those who would shun her and those who want her for their own reasons.

No, Breezy is not a zombie. She doesnt shuffle around looking for brains to eat. In fact, if she does eat food it makes her ill. I was intrigued by that. For most of the book, you have no idea how she came back or why.

And there are others out there. Like, but not like Breezy. This is where I got a flashback to Nightbreed. Great book and movie about beings of all shapes and sizes just trying to live and avoid being persecuted for being something other than human.

As Breezy learned more about what she was, I thought she handled it well for coming back from the dead. She soldiered on, determined yet scared, trying to hang on to the human part of herself. Read very genuine to me.

About those other beings. Im pretty sure one was a werewolf, not too crazy about him. I did really like the ghoul brothers. Yep, ghouls. I know, they eat dead bodies. But they cant help it. And they're not grungy and smelly. Youd never suspect they cut up bodies in their bathtub and eat them.

A well woven horror mystery, Shallow Graves kept me up late, reading until I reached end. And the ending was a great wrap with up an opening to write more. Not sure if there will be a sequel or series, but if there is, Ill read it.

I won this book in a giveaway. What a great prize.
2121655
Even if you have not yet read the previous book in this series,  Thread on Arrival, toss this in your treat bag and hurry home to enjoy a cozy evening in front of the fire.  You will be thankful you do.

Tallullah Falls, OR is a cozy small town with a variety of boutique type businesses on the main street. The storefront next to The Seven Year Stitch has been vacant, until Marcy gets the news that it will be occupied for the month of October.
What harm could come from having a Haunted House next door for only a few weeks?
Marcy Singer knew as soon as the words slipped past her lips that she should know better.

When she meets the flamboyant couple operating the Horror Emporium she does her best not to be judgemental. After all, she herself has a Hollywood background. Her mannequin, Jill, muses that "It is better to be absolutely ridiculous than absolutely boring."

Aromatherapy shop owner Nellie Davis feel that Tallulah Falls did not have a propensity for murder until Marcy opened the embroidery shop.
When nasty and conneiving waitress, Keira Sherman, ends up pale and barely breathing in the gutter outside the Horror Emporium, with two small puncture wounds on her neck, Nellie has two immediate thoughts. The Atwoods are vampires and it is time to move.
Beneath Keira is found a most incriminating piece of evidence, but WHO does it implicate?

Marcy and best friend Vera decide to do some investigating themselves, using Marcy's well know mother, Beverly, as bait, much to the displeasure of Marcy's detective boyfriend.  It seems everyone has secrets and suspicions, including ones they don't share even with best friends.
No one is safe from insecurities.

A full 5 stars for this addition to the Embroidery Mystery series.
I bet that as soon as you finish it you will RUN to the bookstore
(in daylight) to grab the others. Be sure to stay aware of your surroundings.
3851731
This was my first exposure to Christopher Moore and it was a fun read from beginning to end. His irreverent take on the horror genre with characters that you root for is funny and has unexpected twists and turns that are always satisfying. Well worth the price of admission!
4327507
Grab a snack and snuggle in because this book is awesome! Don't Wake The Dead is a funny, fictional tale about a woman named Zoe who can see, hear and talk to ghosts, ghouls and all things other. Her roommate Teri and her best friend Jonelle are hilarious and the 3 men she meets are great too. There isn't anything scary about this book however it is filled with enjoyable banter that made me laugh and some pop culture references that make me smile. A mystery is part of this story, one that brings the gang closer and they solve it too. The epilogue is intriguing and left me wanting more. It's clear there is going to be more and I can't wait. If you're fans of a certain ghost show with J-Love as the lead, that airs only re-runs now, you'll like this book. This book is similar in premise except leave out the drama and add in the comedy. I hope to see the chemistry between Mal and Zoe build and become more as the series progresses. Great book, spunky, funny, light and a fast read.
2037203
I was so happily thrilled to get in Death and the Girl Next Door as the synopsis sounded like an absolutely fun read.  And for the most part, it really was.

Lorelei has had a weird and interesting life so far. And weird and interesting friends to top it off, but back to her life.  Lorelei, since a toddler, has always had visions that come and go as they please. Sometimes they are utter nonsense, and at other times they are very eerie predictions of the future.  But after slightly brushing by a hot stranger she receives the weirdest vision of all.  The hot stranger dressed in weird garb battling scary monster type things.  Lorelei pushes the vision out of the way, more intent on the hotness of said boy, but imagine her surprise when the guy shows up the next day at her school!  And an even bigger surprise?  When he blows off the popular chick to sit with her and her two best friends, Glitch and Brooklyn.  But while Lorelei's head is halfway up to cloud nine to find Jared next to her, she also has a very real and immediate fear of Cameron who has not only taken to staring at her intently, but also to an extremely bad habit of stalking her.  Talk about a freak out, especially as Cameron is the loner bad boy type who has never taken a liking to any of the females throwing their selves at his blonde chiseled body. And before she can even feel a hint of flattery, Lorelei realizes quickly that there is bad blood between the two boys, and affection seems to be the last thing on Cameron's mind.  The two have a definite mutual hate going on, and she seems to be in the middle of it without even knowing why.  But leave it to this curious teen to trail after them to get answers, especially after nearly dying, being kidnapped, and either having hallucinations or testifying to the fact that she witnessed actual magic ability surrounding the two fighting boys. Lorelei, who believed life couldn't get more boring, is about to find out just how interesting it really is!

Death and the Girl Next Door was full of LOL moments.  The dialogue was witty, fun, and fresh, and had me laughing at the most inappropriate times.  (That'll teach me to read in public places).  The characters themselves were full of life and a good dose of personality and charm that made each one unique.  However, the actual plot had me hanging.  I won't ruin it for other people, but let me say Jared was not what I thought he was going to be.  I mean...it says "death" in the title, which immediately had images of the grim reaper filling my head. Unfortunately for me, I was every which way from wrong.  The plot took a weird turn for me as soon as what Jared really is was fleshed out (most probably due to my prior imaginings), and while it was still highly entertaining, after finishing it I feel like a read a cult novel instead of a fun YA book. Maybe cult is too harsh a word for it as it isn't a deep book, but you get my drift.  Also from the synopsis, and cover art, I thought this was going to be a love triangle, but imagine my sadness when I find out is isn't.  Death and the Girl Next Door was still a fun read, and I do recommend it, but I vote if you can find it at your local library to borrow it instead of purchasing.
2321416
I am a fan of the Sisters of Slaughter, and had a great time reading these two short stories, as I knew I would. The redoubtable team of Michelle Garza and Melissa Lason have a knack for conjuring up interesting, down-on-their-luck characters who are suddenly confronted with extreme horror, giving them an appreciation that maybe their previous life wasn't so bad after all. While their stories are intense and horrifying, I often detect a sly wink of humor lurking just behind the action. I remember a Gary Larson Far Side comic depicting an airplane traveler heaving a sigh of relief that a monstrous looking co-traveler has passed by the vacant seat beside him, heading for the rear of the airplane. What he doesn't see is a larger, doubly monstrous co-traveler coming up the aisle behind the first one. It is just this kind of "well, you think you have it bad now? We'll show you!" suggestiveness in the tales of the Sisters of Slaughter that I find delectable.

The story loaded into the first barrel is "Just a Few". A junkie tries to convince police that during a residential break in to steal some percocet tablets he saw a hideous monster roaming through the home of an 80-year old church deacon and his wife. The excitement starts when he convinces the police to investigate. The second barrel is loaded with "Tenant Rights". Down on her luck newly divorced Sharon can't get any sleep in the low-rent Arizona house that she has leased from a slum lord. The lights and air conditioner keep malfunctioning, something keeps making scratching sounds in the ceiling, and she is getting covered by bites from vermin. She has put in 15 calls to her "lazy fat-ass" landlord Neal to no avail. She finally gets a call back from the repentant Neal, who offers to break the lease. Unfortunately for Sharon, while Neal is explaining to her the  horrors of the house that he somehow forgot to reveal to her before she put down her money, Sharon is experiencing those very horrors in person.

This book is highly recommended to readers looking for an hour or so of extreme horror and fun.
673324
Valerie Valentyn had a little problem. OK. It was a big problem. Someone had been murdered in her bed, and  - ridiculous as it seems - when the victim is found in YOUR bed, the police believe YOU killed him! I know! That's what Valerie thought, too! Couldn't they see how preposterous that was? Sure, she'd had a little too much to drink last night. And, ok. She had a history of violence and blacking out when she drank too much. But murder? No way that she would ever kill someone!

However, that was only the first problem as far as Valerie and her friends were concerned: as long as the police believed she killed the man, they were not going to look for the real killer. That meant she would have to do it herself. (Which further meant she couldn't afford to be arrested as the police and her lawyer expected in the morning. So she was going to have to go on the lam.)

Follow Valerie as she stumbles her way through the best investigation she and her friends (Julie, Rose - my favorite character by far, and even Heather) can manage. She keeps assuring everyone she has almost solved the case, but she isn't making much progress at all. Finally she tells everyone she will turn herself in if she can't solve it by the deadline she makes up on the spot.

So will Valerie find the real killer or not? After the last few days she has had, being warm and fed don't sound so bad. And surely her friends would come visit her in prison....

I have never borrowed a cozy for my free monthly Prime book, but the reviews for this one kept saying how funny - laugh out loud funny - and even hilarious it was so I had to check it out for myself.

I have to say, I was really wondering what was so funny because I wasn't laughing at all yet, and I was over a quarter of the way through the book. But then I actually found something funny! I checked. I was 33% of the way through the book.

There were several funny moments in the story after that, and I did enjoy the book. But do not buy this expecting an hysterically funny, laugh out loud story. If it IS that for you, that is great, and I mean that sincerely. However, if it is NOT that, know that it is still a fun little cozy.

However, one thing I would like to add: this is a complete story. You do not have to get the next book to follow the story line. I obviously don't know if this holds true for the book two or not, but I would expect so. I hate to get to the end of a book and THEN learn it has no ending! VERY frustrating! So I thought I would let you know this IS a stand alone story.