Cemetery Dance Reviews

In Remembrance of Frank Michaels Errington

Author Cemetery Dance OnlinePosted on Categories ReviewsTags 2 Comments on In Remembrance of Frank Michaels Errington
Frank Michaels Errington

Cemetery Dance, and the horror fiction community as a whole, lost a special member of our ranks last week when Frank Michaels Errington passed away.

I never got the chance to meet Frank in person, but we’ve been swapping emails and Tweets for almost four years. One of the first reviews I ran after we started Cemetery Dance Online was Frank’s take on Little Girls by Ronald Malfi. “Includes one of the most disgusting scenes I’ve ever read,” he wrote in that review, and I could just see him grinning about that. His love and enthusiasm for horror was infectious and shined through every review he wrote. Even when he didn’t love (or like) the book he was reviewing, he tried to find something positive to say.Continue Reading

Review: The Gemini Experiment by Brian Pinkerton

Author Cemetery Dance OnlinePosted on Categories ReviewsTags , , , , Leave a comment on Review: The Gemini Experiment by Brian Pinkerton

The Gemini Experiment by Brian Pinkerton
Flame Tree Press (May 30, 2019)
240 pages; $16.48 hardcover; $10.37 paperback; $6.99 e-book
Reviewed by Frank Michaels Errington

The premise is somewhat familiar and rather simple. Technology has advanced to the point where it’s possible to digitize the mind. Combine this with the ability to create a perfect, nearly indestructible, mirror-image of a human body and you have the recipe for immortality…or disaster.Continue Reading

Review: The Bone Weaver’s Orchard by Sarah Read

Author Cemetery Dance OnlinePosted on Categories ReviewsTags , , , , , 1 Comment on Review: The Bone Weaver’s Orchard by Sarah Read

The Bone Weaver’s Orchard by Sarah Read
Trepidatio Pub (February 2019)
194 pages; $12.36 paperback; $4.95 e-book
Reviewed by Sadie Hartmann

Where are my fellow John Bellairs fans? Raise your hands and be counted. I need to know who you are. It’s important to this review because I’m an avid horror fan who was first nourished on the horror milk of John Bellairs novels. Bellairs wrote dark, gothic mysteries for young readers and he never shied away from being “too scary” for kids. I relished my time in those pages.

Here I am now at forty-two years of age and Sarah Read, the talented author of The Bone Weaver’s Orchard, has just rekindled that fire by tapping some of my favorite things I loved as a young reader.Continue Reading

Review: The Judas Hit by W.D. Gagliani

Author Cemetery Dance OnlinePosted on Categories ReviewsTags , , , , Leave a comment on Review: The Judas Hit by W.D. Gagliani

The Judas Hit by W.D. Gagliani
Tarkus Press (December 2018)
298 pages; $1.99 e-book
Reviewed by Dave Simms

W.D. Gagliani returns to gift readers with a novel that combines James Bond with Constantine, but with a darker flair in a story that is pure fun to read. Those familiar with his excellent Wolf’s Trap/Nick Lupo series will find plenty of familiar elements here, yet the humor the author imbues ratchets up the entertainment level, along with action scenes that leap off the page in a style that is flawless.Continue Reading

Review: The Murder of Jesus Christ by John R. Little

Author Cemetery Dance OnlinePosted on Categories ReviewsTags , , , 1 Comment on Review: The Murder of Jesus Christ by John R. Little

The Murder of Jesus Christ by John R. Little
Bad Moon Books (May 2019)
200 pages; $40 limited edition hardcover
Reviewed by Dave Simms

Books of controversial topics fall into two categories in most cases: shock value stories with poor writing, or historical revelations (a la Dan Brown) that at least convey a message. John R. Little has never been afraid to delve into sensitive areas and rile up the emotions where other authors fear to tread (see The Memory Tree). The title of this book may deter some readers, but those who know of Little and who embrace the uncomfortable will flock to this intriguing story, which is sure to not only ruffle some feathers, but scorch them.Continue Reading

Review: Halloween Fiend by CV Hunt

Author Cemetery Dance OnlinePosted on Categories ReviewsTags , , , , 1 Comment on Review: Halloween Fiend by CV Hunt

Halloween Fiend by C.V. Hunt
Grindhouse Press (February 2019)
112 pages; $12.95 paperback; $2.99 e-book
Reviewed by Anton Cancre

CV Hunt is becoming a legend in extreme circles, but I don’t think she gets nearly the credit she deserves for her ability to work in quieter spaces. Luckily, we have Halloween Fiend, a South of Heaven move to follow the Reign in Blood that was last year’s Cockblock.Continue Reading

Review: The Hungry Moon by Ramsey Campbell

Author Cemetery Dance OnlinePosted on Categories ReviewsTags , , , , Leave a comment on Review: The Hungry Moon by Ramsey Campbell

The Hungry Moon by Ramsey Campbell
Flame Tree Press (April 2019)
368 pages; $18.19 hardcover; $10.37 paperback; $6.99 e-book
Reviewed by Frank Michaels Errington

It had to happen sooner or later. I found a Ramsey Campbell book I actually liked.  

Mostly.Continue Reading

Review: At Home in the Dark edited by Lawrence Block

Author Cemetery Dance OnlinePosted on Categories ReviewsTags , , , , Leave a comment on Review: At Home in the Dark edited by Lawrence Block

At Home in the Dark edited by Lawrence Block
Subterranean Press (April 2019)
326 pages; $14.99 paperback; $9.99 e-book
Reviewed by Blu Gilliand

“So here we have seventeen stories,” Lawrence Block writes in the Foreward to At Home in the Dark, “and what they all have in common, besides their unquestionable excellence, is where they stand on that gray scale. They are, in a word, dark.”Continue Reading

Review: Growing Things by Paul Tremblay

Author Cemetery Dance OnlinePosted on Categories ReviewsTags , , , Leave a comment on Review: Growing Things by Paul Tremblay

Growing Things by Paul Tremblay
William Morrow (July 2, 2019)
352 pages; $25.99 hardcover; $12.99 e-book
Reviewed by Sadie Hartmann

“I’m terrible at remembering plot and character specifics…if the story is successful, what I do remember and will never forget is what and how that story makes me feel.”—Paul Tremblay in the “Notes” of Growing Things.Continue Reading

Review: The Pandora Room by Christopher Golden

Author Cemetery Dance OnlinePosted on Categories ReviewsTags , , , Leave a comment on Review: The Pandora Room by Christopher Golden

The Pandora Room by Christopher Golden
St. Martin’s Press (April 23, 2019)
320 pages; $18.29 hardcover; $14.99 e-book
Reviewed by Dave Simms

Christopher Golden returns to the realm of high concept thrillers with The Pandora Room, a novel chock full of action, horror, mythology, and history. Following in the footsteps of Ararat, the story that successfully combined the aforementioned elements in one of the best novels of the year, this entry also keeps the setting claustrophobic and tight, a motif that could be a mess in less capable hands.Continue Reading

Review: The Dark Game by Jonathan Janz

Author Cemetery Dance OnlinePosted on Categories ReviewsTags , , , , , 2 Comments on Review: The Dark Game by Jonathan Janz

The Dark Game by Jonathan Janz
Flame Tree Press (April 2019)
352 pages; $16.48 hardcover; $10.37 paperback; $6.99 e-book
Reviewed by Sadie Hartmann

2019 is the year of Jonathan Janz. There. I said it. Flame Tree Press performed the remarkable act of acquiring his previously released titles and then doling them out to us on a pretty aggressive schedule, which is an impressive gesture all on its own…but wait! There’s more. Flame Tree is also releasing new titles from Janz.Continue Reading

Review: Black Wings by Megan Hart

Author Cemetery Dance OnlinePosted on Categories ReviewsTags , , , , Leave a comment on Review: Black Wings by Megan Hart

Black Wings by Megan Hart
Flame Tree Press (February 2019)
240 pages; $20.64 hardcover; $10.37 paperback; $6.99 e-book
Reviewed by Frank Michaels Errington

Briella is a bright child, some would say gifted. That being said, she does have trouble making friends.

Along with a loathing for personal hygiene and lack of friends, Briella had taken up lying. Much like her father, she wasn’t really very good at it.

Continue Reading

Review: I Dream of Mirrors by Chris Kelso

Author Cemetery Dance OnlinePosted on Categories ReviewsTags , , , , Leave a comment on Review: I Dream of Mirrors by Chris Kelso

I Dream of Mirrors by Chris Kelso
Sinister Horror Company (February 2019)
158 pages; $15.68 paperback; $2.99 e-book
Reviewed by Dave Simms

File this short novel under the “mind-blowing, mind-boggling, weird horror” category. There. It’s done. Attempting to classify I Dream of Mirrors is nearly impossible to explain or put into a genre box.

Translated: it’s one of the cool, weird stories that can be called horror, dark fantasy, sci-fi, or bizarre fiction. Readers who crave the out-there settings and characters of Jeff Vandermeer, Neil Gaiman, and John Langan will find plenty to lose themselves in here with a tale that, while being  heady and intelligent, keeps itself grounded.Continue Reading

Review: The Rust Maidens by Gwendolyn Kiste

Author Cemetery Dance OnlinePosted on Categories ReviewsTags , , , , Leave a comment on Review: The Rust Maidens by Gwendolyn Kiste

The Rust Maidens by Gwendolyn Kiste
JournalStone (November 2018)
218 pages; $17.95 paperback; $4.95 e-book
Reviewed by Dave Simms

For those out there who are unfamiliar with Gwendolyn Kiste’s gorgeous prose, The Rust Maidens would be a great place to start. After last year’s stellar collection, And Her Smile Will Untether The Universe, Kiste steps out with her debut novel, which rattles the soul in a disturbing, yet beautiful read.Continue Reading

Review: The Haunting of Henderson Close by Catherine Cavendish

Author Cemetery Dance OnlinePosted on Categories ReviewsTags , , , , Leave a comment on Review: The Haunting of Henderson Close by Catherine Cavendish

The Haunting of Henderson Close by Catherine Cavendish
Flame Tree Press (January 2019)
240 pages; $16.48 hardcover; $12.86 paperback; $6.29 e-book
Reviewed by Frank Michaels Errington

Catherine Cavendish is a prolific writer of horror, frequently with ghostly, supernatural, Gothic and haunted house themes. She’s very active on social  media. I have no idea why I’ve never read her work before now, but now that I’ve finally read one of her novels, I know I’ll be back for more.Continue Reading