Tag: supernatural
The Ravine by Maia Chance readalong review
For a devoted wife and mother, a restful getaway descends into an inescapable nightmare in this dark psychological thriller. Harlow has almost everything she wants: a passionate marriage, an adorable stepson, and a fresh start at her husband Gregor’s childhood home on a remote island. But soon after arriving, Gregor begins to change, and Harlow is unsettled by his connection to their neighbour. When … Read More The Ravine by Maia Chance readalong review
Smile So Red and Other Tales of Madness by Mia Dalia
From Mia Dalia, the author of Estate Sale, Haven, and other literary nightmares, comes a uniquely terrifying collection of dark psychological fiction, featuring novelettes and short stories that range from horror to suspense to mystery to coming-of-age to thrillers. SMILE SO RED – a man finds a strange graffitied house in the woods and a smiling darkness that follows him home. SPINDEL – a twelve-year-old boy suspects … Read More Smile So Red and Other Tales of Madness by Mia Dalia
Lie Quietly by Alice Wright
Robbers Bridge hides more than secrets—it harbours the dead. 1959. Childhood friends Jackey and Annie are bound by a love as wild and untamed as the moors that surround them. But the close-knit village of Robbers Bridge still clings to the old ways, and not everyone wishes the young couple well. When jealousy festers and dark superstition takes hold, a single act of malice shatters … Read More Lie Quietly by Alice Wright
The House of Mystery by Joy Ellis
A missing boy. Three extraordinary children. And a darkness that will stop at nothing. Fourteen-year-old Ollie Cruise is missing. He was last seen two nights ago, down by the river, with an older boy. DCI Bob Foreman suspects something very nasty has happened to him – and there’s only one person who can uncover the truth: Ellie McEwan, a healer with a rare psychic … Read More The House of Mystery by Joy Ellis
+ childhood, fiction, folklore, Historical fiction, List, Magical realism, review, supernatural, superstition, USA, whimsical
My Top 5 Books of 2025
I’m a bit late this year with my reflection on my favourite books of 2025. It’s always hard. There weren’t obvious instant standouts as in previous years. I have tried to include a mix of genres and although I read a lot of crime fiction, which occasionally make my quarterly selections, my top books of the year tend to be something a bit different, so … Read More My Top 5 Books of 2025
+ crime fiction, gothic, gothic horror, Gothic mystery, Historical fiction, List, murder mystery, mystery, supernatural, superstition, thriller, Victorian Britain
My Top 10 Books of 2025 – Part Four
Here are my favourite ten books of 2025 Part Four, including audiobooks, of which there are quite a few. As usual a disparate selection, though somewhat heavy on the Gothic. One Tiny Cry by Christina Delay This was crazy bonkers at times and I loved every minute. Anything to do with religious cults is up there with my favourite genres, and One Tiny Cry is one … Read More My Top 10 Books of 2025 – Part Four
The Clockmaker by Roxan Burley
When Elenora Grey inherits her late aunt’s flower shop in the sleepy Devon town of Totnes, she hopes for nothing more than a quiet fresh start. But Time & Thyme is no ordinary florist. Beneath the ticking clock of East Gate Arch, strange things begin to stir — flowers bloom out of season, a cash register writes its own orders, and upstairs, behind a … Read More The Clockmaker by Roxan Burley
+ childhood, family, fiction, gay, ghosts, loneliness, loss, love, motherhood, mystery, review, secrets, siblings, supernatural
The Season of Secrets by DE McCluskey
To make sense of what was happening around you, could you believe? ‘This could be your mother’s last Christmas,’ were not the words Alison wanted to hear so close to the holidays. Determined to spend one last festive season with her ailing mother, Alison, her daughter Grace, and Anthony her brother, decide to make the journey back to the town where they grew up. … Read More The Season of Secrets by DE McCluskey
+ 1960s, alcoholism, fiction, France, friends, friendship, gay, ghosts, haunting, journalist, literature, London, love, music, obsession, racism, review, supernatural
The Music of the Cosmos by Carole Bulewski
“We must discover the Music of the Cosmos.” With these words, visionary, depraved and intensely artistic Gaius piques the curiosity of Sam and his friends, young lads from Kent who have come to Swinging Sixties London in search of musical success. To further their quest for the otherworldly Music of the Cosmos, the boys leave London for Paris, and experiment with the help of … Read More The Music of the Cosmos by Carole Bulewski
Rainforest by Michelle Paver
The jungle watches. The dead remember. The virgin rainforest seems a paradise to Englishman Simon Corbett. A last chance to salvage his career. A final refuge from a terrible secret. But the jungle is no Eden. It hides secrets of its own. It does not forgive. #Rainforest X/Twitter @michelle.paver @orionbooks @RandomTTours #bookX #booktwitter Instagram @michelle.paver @orionbooks @randomthingstours #bookstagram #blogtour As Simon is drawn deeper into its haunted shadows, he learns to his horror … Read More Rainforest by Michelle Paver
+ crime fiction, dark humour, gothic, gothic horror, Gothic mystery, Historical fiction, List, murder mystery, mystery, supernatural, superstition, thriller, Victorian Britain
My Top 10 Books of 2025 – Part Three
Here are my favourite ten books of 2025 Part Three, including audiobooks, as I haven’t listened to enough to have their own post this quarter. As usual quite a disparate selection. The Empty Cradle by Lisa Rookes This was so good. I’m not sure how a story could be scary, creepy, and really funny at the same time. I think that’s because it’s so well … Read More My Top 10 Books of 2025 – Part Three
+ female friendship, fiction, friendship, Historical fiction, murder, murder mystery, revenge, review, secrets, spiritualism, supernatural, Victorian Britain
The Crooked Medium’s Guide to Murder by Stephen Cox
London 1881. Can two crooked women stop a murder? Extravagant medium Mrs Ashton and her lover, blunt working-class Mrs Bradshaw, run a spiritualist scam. Mrs Ashton secretly reads minds. Believing that Mrs Ashton is genuine, grieving Lady Violet craves the truth behind her mother’s untimely death. #TheCrookedMediumsGuidetoMurder X/Twitter @stephenwhq @RandomTTours #bookX #booktwitter Instagram @stephencoxauthor @randomthingstours #bookstagram #blogtour#Victorianmurdermystery #historicalmurdermystery #spooky #paranormal #sapphic #LGBTQ #womensleuths #BritishDetectives But Lady Violet’s powerful husband Sir Charles hates spiritualists. … Read More The Crooked Medium’s Guide to Murder by Stephen Cox
Bookchatter@Cookiebiscuit 