Author Cemetery Dance OnlinePosted on Categories ReviewsLeave a comment on Review: An Ideal Vessel by Sarah Hans 
An Ideal Vessel by Sarah Hans
Dragon’s Roost Press (May 2018)
140 pages; $9.99 paperback; $7.99 e-book
Reviewed by Anton Cancre
Before I get into this, you need to answer a question for yourself: Are you prepared for latter-Victorian automatons possessed by ages-old paladins squaring off against demons? The answer to that question directly affects your interest in Sarah Hans’ debut novella, An Ideal Vessel. Continue Reading
Author Cemetery Dance OnlinePosted on Categories ReviewsLeave a comment on Review: Body of Christ by Mark Matthews 
Body of Christ by Mark Matthews
CreateSpace (January 2018)
94 pages; $7.99 paperback; $0.99 e-book
Reviewed by Chad Lutzke
I picked up this book for review at just the right time. Horror has bored me as of late. I’m seeing a lot of the same tropes. Blood here, blood there. Running from monsters, maniacal cannibals, and other dead horses. These things do nothing for me. They’re good on the screen when you’re in the mood for a body count, but in the written word, for me, it’s trudging through mud I’d rather have walked around. My eye starts to wander toward my small shelf of Nicholas Sparks and Louis L’Amour spines — none of which I’ve read, but have wondered if I’m missing a good time. I’m okay with losing horror points for that little confession. For me, there are no guilty pleasures. Just good books, good music, good movies.Continue Reading
Author Cemetery Dance OnlinePosted on Categories ReviewsLeave a comment on Review: Lost Films edited by Max Booth III and Lori Michelle 
Lost Films edited by Max Booth III and Lori Michelle
Perpetual Motion Machine Publishing (August 2018)
226 pages, $18.95 paperback; $6 e-book
Reviewed by Anton Cancre
We all love films, both personal home videos and big screen productions. They become a part of our lives. But what do we do when our lives interweave with the celluloid?Continue Reading
Author Cemetery Dance OnlinePosted on Categories ReviewsLeave a comment on Review: Bad Man by Dathan Auerbach 
Bad Man by Dathan Auerbach
Doubleday (August 7, 2018)
400 pages; $26.95 paperback; $12.99 e-book
Reviewed by Frank Michaels Errington
Eric, aged three, disappears at the grocery store while under the care of his older brother, Ben. Every parent’s worst nightmare. The rising panic woven through this scene was incredibly well written.
I can’t say I liked everything about Bad Man. Early on, I was enjoying the read but found myself searching for the story. There was one red herring, in particular, which I was less than fond of. But, I will say Dathan Auerbach is a very capable writer, deserving of his success.Continue Reading
Author Cemetery Dance OnlinePosted on Categories ReviewsLeave a comment on Review: Night of 1,000 Beasts by John Palisano 
Night of 1,000 Beasts by John Palisano
(April 2018)
208 pages; $14.95 paperback; $2.99 e-book
Reviewed by R.B. Payne
The scariest things at a ski resort are normally daily ticket prices, $20 hot dogs, and the prospect of a twisted ankle or broken neck. This is hardly true in the gripping Night of 1000 Beasts by John Palisano, in which a hot-shot group of skiers find themselves in a horrific cosmic event where it becomes obvious that some of them have taken their last lift ride to the top.Continue Reading
Author Cemetery Dance OnlinePosted on Categories ReviewsLeave a comment on Review: Volk: A Novel of Radiant Abomination by David Nickle 
Volk: A Novel of Radiant Abomination by David Nickle
ChiZine Publications (October 2017)
376 pages; $11.75 paperback; $6 e-book
Reviewed by Chris Hallock
No one, not even the author himself, could have predicted the timeliness of David Nickle’s Volk. Yet, here and now, the world is (once again) on a steady march toward unparalleled terror and fascism at the hands of arrogant rulers. Nickle’s follow-up to 2011’s acclaimed Eutopia: A Novel of Terrible Optimism is set in an early-to-mid-twentieth century Europe still reeling from World War I, but speaks of our contemporary landscape to a frightening degree.Continue Reading
Author Cemetery Dance OnlinePosted on Categories ReviewsLeave a comment on Review: Subhuman (A Unit 51 Novel) by Michael McBride 
Subhuman (A Unit 51 Novel) by Michael McBride
Pinnacle (October 2017)
400 pages; $7.48 paperback; $6.99 e-book
Reviewed by Dave Simms
Imagine if Michael Crichton penned The Thing or crossed writing styles with F. Paul Wilson; it might give an idea of what Michael McBride has accomplished in Subhuman. This novel begins a new series (UNIT 51) that looks to be one of the most exciting thriller/horror series in several years.Continue Reading
Author Cemetery Dance OnlinePosted on Categories ReviewsLeave a comment on Review: The Hollow Tree by James Brogden 
The Hollow Tree by James Brogden
Titan Books (March 2018)
483 pages; $11.26 paperback; $8.49 e-book
Reviewed by Dave Simms
Last year’s dark fantasy underdog breakout, Hekla’s Children, brought the subgenre to life again with a mix of heavy action, horror, and fantasy, with a style that read quicker than a demon on a blood-slicked luge to hell. James Brogden became known in the mix of genres as a voice to be reckoned with, but second novels can be a downfall.Continue Reading
Author Cemetery Dance OnlinePosted on Categories ReviewsLeave a comment on Review: Nothing You Can Do by Ed Kurtz 
Nothing You Can Do by Ed Kurtz
Down & Out (September 2017)
324 pages; $17.95 paperback; $7.99 e-book
Reviewed by Frank Michaels Errington
Nothing You Can Do is the first collection from genre writer Ed Kurtz., containing seventeen stories of hardboiled crime. Most of them have been previously published, with the exception of the final story, which appears here for the first time.
Unless you are a hardcore Ed Kurtz fan, chances are pretty good you haven’t read more than a handful of these tales.Continue Reading
Author Cemetery Dance OnlinePosted on Categories Reviews1 Comment on Review: The Moore House by Tony Tremblay 
The Moore House by Tony Tremblay
Haverhill House Publishing (July 2018)
238 pages; $26.99 hardcover; $16.99 paperback; $7.99 e-book
Reviewed by Frank Michaels Errington
I can’t think of a better way to describe Tony Tremblay’s debut novel, The Moore House, than with the author’s own words of warning from one character to another in the actual story…Continue Reading
Author Cemetery Dance OnlinePosted on Categories ReviewsLeave a comment on Review: Halcyon by Rio Youers 
Halcyon by Rio Youers
St. Martin’s Press (July 10, 2018)
384 pages; $26.46 hardcover; $14.99 e-book
Reviewed by Dave Simms
Straight from the success of last year’s The Forgotten Girl, Rio Youers bursts back onto the scene with another high-octane thriller that stretches the bounds of reality in a tale which blurs the lines between horror, thriller, mystery, and fantasy. Those familiar with his writing will be treated to another smooth ride that will keep the pages flying. Continue Reading
Author Cemetery Dance OnlinePosted on Categories ReviewsLeave a comment on Review: The Anomaly by Michael Rutger 
The Anomaly by Michael Rutger
Grand Central Publishing (June 2018)
352 pages; $17.38 hardcover; $13.99 e-book
Reviewed by Dave Simms
Every once in a while, a book comes along to remind you how much fun reading can be. Thrillers usually fill that void pretty well. Add in some darkness, and opening the covers can feel like a rollercoaster ride designed by Rod Serling when arguing with Clive Barker.Continue Reading
Author Cemetery Dance OnlinePosted on Categories ReviewsLeave a comment on Review: Strange Weather by Joe Hill 
Strange Weather by Joe Hill
William Morrow (October 2017)
448 pages; $16.67 hardcover; $16.99 paperback; $14.99 e-book
Reviewed by Dave Simms
There’s something decidedly different about Joe Hill, besides the obvious relation. His novels and short stories defy categorization, often eschewing the conventions of horror and tropes of speculative fiction in favor of something much more… interesting.Continue Reading
Author Cemetery Dance OnlinePosted on Categories ReviewsLeave a comment on Review: The Cabin at the End of the World by Paul Tremblay 
The Cabin at the End of the World by Paul Tremblay
William Morrow (June 26, 2018)
288 pages; $21.59 hardcover; $12.99 e-book
Reviewed by Jonathan Reitan
Before you know it, and in just one breath, you’ve already read the first 50 pages of Paul Tremblay’s summer release The Cabin At The End Of The World. It’s that good.Continue Reading
Author Cemetery Dance OnlinePosted on Categories ReviewsLeave a comment on Review: Songs of Dreaming Gods by William Meikle 
Songs of Dreaming Gods by William Meikle
Macabre Ink (September 2017)
174 pages; $9.99 paperback; $4.99 e-book
Reviewed by Dave Simms
Haunted house stories have been run into the ground and, in most cases, should be boarded up due to the tropes that lazy writing cannot fix. In recent years, only a few have managed to introduce something new. Examples include House of Leaves, The Unseen, and The Haunted, each bringing a new wrinkle to the subgenre.Continue Reading
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