Category: Horror

Weekly Amusements: Audiobook Challenges, The Terror, The Expanse, & More

Welcome to Dab of Darkness Weekly Amusements! Here’s my attempt to give a shout out to things that have made my week a little bit better. 

There’s always awesome stuff happening over at these audiobook clubs.

Fant-SciFi Audiobook Club 

Will be starting discussion of MirrorWorld by Jeremy Robinson soon.

 

The next upcoming discussion later in the month is The Eye of the World (The Wheel of Time #1) by Robert Jordan.

Histories & Mysteries Audiobook Club 

We’ll be starting Stormbreaker (Alex Rider #1) by Anthony Horowitz soon.

 

The next upcoming discussion later in the month is Dear Mr. M by Herman Koch.

 

For this week, we finally have the yearly audiobook challenges up! Fant-SciFi Audiobook Challenge for science fiction and fantasy lovers. Histories & Mysteries Audiobook Challenge for those that love books set in the past or fast-action espionage or a cozy mystery, etc. We’ve got a great team this year that worked hard to get them up & running & I couldn’t have done it without them. 

I made the delightful mistake of watching The Terror, a dramatic historical fiction series on Hulu. Each season is set in a different historical time period and location. Season 1 is the Arctic, 1840s; season 2 is beginning of WW2 US Japanese concentration camps. There’s a little supernatural stuff happening in each season. I sped through season 1, realizing it’s based on a Dan Simmons book by the same name. The Terror was one of the British ships trying to chart a Northwest Passage. Season 1 was fascinating. Season 2 is a little slower so far, but still worthy (tho I haven’t quite finished it).

Of course, I then had to go on to listen to The Terror by Dan Simmons. I got the John Lee version via BARD. Just finished it and it was very engaging, tho I feel the TV show did a better job with the few female characters and indigenous characters as well.

This week also saw the series finale to The Expanse. I have loved the book series (read them all) and have really enjoyed the TV series. However, I was a little concerned from the beginning when it was announced the final season would be only 6 episodes. Honestly, I wasn’t wowed by this final season. It started off mediocre but did get better. It was an OK ending but I really hope someone takes pity on this yet-again abandoned series, picks it up, and gives us the final 3 books (either as 3 seasons or 3 really good movies). I also wasn’t happy that most of the episodes were pretty darn short compared to previous seasons. We did go watch those short bonus clips (1 each for the first 5 episodes) but I don’t know why they needed to set them aside like that instead of incorporating them into an episode here and there. Book 6 admittedly has a straight forward plot, but there are many characters having internal conflicts as their loyalties are split and they are forced to make hard choices. I know that sometimes that internal conflict can be hard to show on screen, but all the more reason to give the season more time to do some character development. I really wanted to see some bonding, or arguing, while Belters sat in a circle and braided each other’s hair. (I think Marco Inaros would have looked a little more badass with some battle braids instead of the manbun, but he probably doesn’t have time for such frivolity.)

If you’re looking for fact-paced action, advanced tech, & medieval barbarian swords, then check out Lost Kingdom by Terry Maggert. It was my favorite read this past week. Terry Maggert always puts out quality stuff but Zachary Johnson gave this book a great narration as well.

I got hooked into Wu Assassins, another abandoned TV series. There’s just the one season on Netflix and it leaves us on a big cliff hanger. There’s grumbles about maybe being a movie or two to finish out the story, but, hey, world pandemic, so we’ll see what happens. Wu Assassins is an urban fantasy story set in San Francisco with Chinese mythology. Kai is our main hero and he has several friends who make up the team of good guys. When Kai wears flannel, he kind of reminds me of Dean Winchester. I especially liked the little bits of educational history, like the one in the trailer set in the breakfast cafe. I’m glad I watched it even if we never get a continuation of the story.

 

And that’s it for me this week. What has kept you happily distracted this past week? 

Soundbooth Theater: The Stars Have Eyes Serial 1-6

Soundbooth Theater is celebrating the one-year anniversary of the launch of their app! To honor this occasion, SBT is throwing a stellar anniversary sale.

➜ Details about the anniversary sale:

  • The sale will start on October 31st, the one-year anniversary of SBT’s distribution platform, and will run for two weeks
  • This will be a sitewide sale — all audiobooks and Audio Deep Dives will be $5 or less
  • SBT will be unveiling some new titles on the platform, including Kaiju: Battlefield Surgeon by Matt Dinniman and Monster Hunt NYC 2 by Harmon Cooper
🎉SOUNDBOOTH THEATER’S BIRTHDAY PARTY WILL TAKE PLACE ON SUNDAY, OCTOBER 31ST AT 8:00 PM ET. IT WILL BE STREAMED ON YOUTUBE, FACEBOOK, AND TWITCH.

 

Author: Neven Iliev

Narrator: Jeff Hays, Annie Ellicott, Gary Francis Furlong, Will M. Watt

Released: Apr. 1, 2021

Genre: Comedy, Gothic Horror, Romance, Science Fiction

Joe Mulligan is looking for love, companionship, and romance… and that’s what the brochure said he was getting. Unfortunately, The Cult of the Gazing Star has no such thing planned for him. They had to lure a willing sacrifice in somehow, and as has always been the case, those looking for love, companionship, and romance are plentiful. So, having hooked the perfect, gullible, and hopelessly clueless candidate, these fanatics will finally summon the subject of their worship: a terrible being from beyond the veil of reality called Mag’rathlak the Observer. And although this devious cult had no intention of finding Joe a worthy companion, he may have found one all the same…

Buy on Soundbooth Theater

Founded by prolific narrator and producer, Jeff Hays, Soundbooth Theater is a full-service audio production company that specializes in multicast audiobooks and Audio Deep Dives, which are enhanced with sound effects and music.

Website

This series starts off so serious. The chanting, the robes, the cult. Plus there’s a naked guy chained up, as if for sacrifice. But as the chanting rises and suspense thickens the air, warriors burst in, guns a-blazing! Joe Mulligan is saved! Yet he’s also a little sad. After all, he was just looking for solid dating advice in his quest to land a girlfriend. Lucky for him Mag’rathlak the Observer isn’t done with him.

The story gets deliciously silly after that. Mag’rathlak (aka Maggie or Mags) tries to give humanity a chance by running around as a human for a while. Mags chooses to appear in an attractive female body and Joe can’t complain. He takes her home and shows her all the things he enjoys doing, which isn’t as scandalous as you might think. There’s computer games and the arcade and cheap food. Mags is mildly amused.

As the series progresses, we get more from the group that attacked the Cult of the Gazing Star. AJ and others are still hunting eldritch entities. Sarah and Sparks and the rest monitor Joe and Mag’rathlak from orbit. They have concerns that Mags will successfully invade the cyberworld.

Meanwhile, Mags becomes fascinated with animals, especially pets. In her quest to learn more, she finds a somewhat shady pet store where she picks out something she finds cute. Later, there’s a trip to a zoo, but it’s not quite what Mags was expecting. Though Joe has a good time and Mags enjoys seeing him stupid happy.

Episode 6 sees that Mags joins Joe’s team in some online game just in time to train for the tournament. Mags finds that team efforts can indeed be satisfying. The story leaves us on a small win but with the door left open for plenty more shenanigans. 4/5 stars.

The Narration, sound effects, & music: Once again, Soundbooth Theater has a quality performance. All the characters have unique voices and are easily identifiable. Though I will say sometimes I feel Joe’s voice is over the top and grates on me a bit. Thankfully, Mags is the star of the show. The sound effects were well-timed and easily identifiable. There’s background music too and mostly it works to accent a situation. Yet there was that bit of music that was reminiscent of country music and didn’t match the situation. There’s no country visits, no cows, no big hats. Still, pretty good for a serial audio drama. 4/5 stars.

I received this audiobook as part of my participation in a blog tour with Audiobookworm Promotions. The tour is being sponsored by Soundbooth Theater. The gifting of this audiobook did not affect my opinion of it.

Click here to view the full tour schedule!

Plugging you into the audio community since 2016.

Sign up as a tour host here.

Soundbooth Theater: Shattered Seas by Byron Leavitt

Soundbooth Theater is celebrating the one-year anniversary of the launch of their app! To honor this occasion, SBT is throwing a stellar anniversary sale.

➜ Details about the anniversary sale:

  • The sale will start on October 31st, the one-year anniversary of SBT’s distribution platform, and will run for two weeks
  • This will be a sitewide sale — all audiobooks and Audio Deep Dives will be $5 or less
  • SBT will be unveiling some new titles on the platform, including Kaiju: Battlefield Surgeon by Matt Dinniman and Monster Hunt NYC 2 by Harmon Cooper
🎉SOUNDBOOTH THEATER’S BIRTHDAY PARTY WILL TAKE PLACE ON SUNDAY, OCTOBER 31ST AT 8:00 PM ET. IT WILL BE STREAMED ON YOUTUBE, FACEBOOK, AND TWITCH.

 

Author: Byron Leavitt

Narrator: Jeff Hays, Annie Ellicott, Gary Francis Furlong, Will M. Watt, Laurie Catherine Winkel, Dorrie Sacks, Andrea Parsneau, Justin Thomas James

Released: Oct. 30, 2020

Genre: Fantasy, Horror, Science Fiction

His muscles elastic and his mind fragmented, Connor Durham awakens on an unknown beach. In the distance before him is a black tower whose peak rises to meet the clouds. In the water behind him are beings who used to be human, their bodies warping and twisting into horrific new configurations. With nowhere else to turn, Connor runs for the tower. In the Kadath deep-sea mining facility, Lucas Kane feels haunted. He dreams of lives he never lived and hears whispers from people who don’t exist. During his days, four gray figures vibrate in and out of focus behind him, their words mostly unintelligible mutters. But there’s something else that he sees while both awake and asleep: a sphere, massive, metallic, and beautiful, which awaits him outside Kadath’s walls at the bottom of the ocean. Separated by dimensions, these two men – and their unfolding stories – are intrinsically linked. As they descend deeper into the dark terrors of the unknown, they will draw inextricably closer together until, at last, both men find themselves trapped in the very depths of otherworldly madness. Welcome to Shattered Seas.

Featuring the ENTIRE Soundbooth Theater cast and original music by Aaron J. Morton, Deep Madness: Shattered Seas will allow fans of the popular tabletop game to follow their favorite characters in a new and exciting way.

Buy on Soundbooth Theater

Founded by prolific narrator and producer, Jeff Hays, Soundbooth Theater is a full-service audio production company that specializes in multicast audiobooks and Audio Deep Dives, which are enhanced with sound effects and music.

Website

If you’re feeling Cthulhu-esque and need a deep-sea horror story, then this is the book for you! In the beginning, we have two groups of people in two separate places and over time their fates become entwined. Lost in a messed up place full of evil creatures, we have Connor (Irish priest), Min (warrior monk), and Machiko (stealthy botanist). Working at the deep sea station Kadath, we have ocean environmentalist Lucas, submariner Charles, and fixer Rachel. While one group simply tries to survive and escape, the other group tries to unravel the mystery of a giant squid-like creature barely caught on camera. Plus Lucas keeps hearing voices and seeing things that aren’t really there and that’s really making it hard to flirt with Rachel. So we obviously need to figure that out for the man so he can have a successful social life.

Machiko and Lucas were my favorite characters. Machiko is level-headed and she is often the one to remind her traveling companions to stay quiet or to keep moving. Connor had the hardest time getting into survival mode. In fact, he nearly got the three of them killed several times. I was surprised that Machiko and Min kept him around. Turns out they are just honestly nice people and weren’t keeping him to use as bait or sacrifice down the road (like I would be tempted to do). Lucas on the other hand is a little lost at first, being new to this deep ocean life and basically a corporate-owned city. Everything about Kadath station, from the engineering of the sewage treatment to the discos are run by the same company. So Lucas has to learn how to fit in. At first, I thought he was an OSHA inspector but it turns out he’s some kind of marine biologist and just wants to make sure Kadath isn’t negatively impacting the local wildlife. I think Lucas was saying he’s your ocean guy and not OSHA guy. But there was some confusion there for me at first. He’s much more exciting as an ocean guy instead of checking office room temperatures and oxygen levels in confined spaces.

The set up is a little slow but also fairly interesting. After all, we know there’s some big mystery about Kadath that Lucas is peeking into. Plus Connor just kind of awoke in this horrible place with dangerous, slimy monsters that can mimic humans. Once the set up is in place, the pace picks up. I love that the story keeps bouncing back and forth between these two sets of people. If one group is having a quiet bonding moment, the other can be running for their lives. Lucas does show some adventurous spirit by finding a way to hunt for his giant squid after being told no. Rachel is friends with Charles, who gets to go out daily in a little round sub to check the exterior of the city. He has a set path he’s supposed to travel, but he can expand it a little. No one will notice. Yeah, right! All three of them quickly learn that Judy Blake, corporate liaison, sees all and knows all. But she also is curious and authorizes them to continue with their search, offering to support them any way they need. Now this should have been a red flag, but Lucas is a bit gullible and takes people at face value. Plus he’s just happy to hunting deep sea monsters.

As the story progresses, these two worlds get closer and closer together until finally one character becomes the tipping point. It’s all very exciting but also pretty nebulous. A story that started off pretty solidly in the science fiction genre has now veered into the fantastical horror. Parts of it I liked, and I was already invested in the characters, but parts of it were just too easy to explain away, because, you know, Cthulhu-like monsters be that way. I did want something a little more defined near the end. Still, it was a pretty enjoyable suspenseful tale. 4/5 stars.

The Narration, Sound Effects, & Music: The full-cast narration was well put together. Each character was clear and easily defined from the others. For the most part, I liked the voices tho two were a bit over the top (Judy Blake and the evil Dr. William West). Most of the cast sounded like modern story-telling while those two voices sounded like a throw back to old timey radio shows. For the most part though, it all worked well. I liked the little bits of music between chapters. Most of the sound effects were good, but there were a few where I was trying to identify exactly what they were. Though to be fair, sometimes these effects were at a point in the story where a character is trying to identify a sound too. Still, I like my sound effects clearly identifiable so my brain stays on the story instead of caught up in trying to figure out what that sound is supposed to be. Aside from those few quibbles, it was a pretty good performance. Soundbooth Theater has a choice in narrations when you buy from their site directly – narration only or what they call a Deep Dive (with all the sound effects and music). I think this is a most excellent thing to offer listeners. 4/5 stars.

I received this audiobook as part of my participation in a blog tour with Audiobookworm Promotions. The tour is being sponsored by Soundbooth Theater. The gifting of this audiobook did not affect my opinion of it.

Click here to view the full tour schedule!

Plugging you into the audio community since 2016.

Sign up as a tour host here.

Audiobook Giveaway & Review: Creature Feature by Steven Paul Leiva

Creature Feature by Steven Paul Leiva

Directed and narrated by Seamus Dever, voiced by Juliana Dever (both from the hit show, “Castle”!) with music by Ray Zeigler!

BOOK BLURB

THERE IS SOMETHING STRANGE HAPPENING IN PLACIDVILLE!

It is 1962. Kathy Anderson, a serious actress who took her training at the Actors Studio in New York, is stuck playing Vivacia, the Vampire Woman on Vivacia’s House of Horrors for a local Chicago TV station.

Finally fed up showing old monster movies to creature feature fans, she quits and heads to New York and the fame and footlights of Broadway.

She stops off to visit her parents and old friends in Placidville, the all-American, middle-class, blissfully normal Midwest small town she grew up in.

But she finds things are strange in Placidville.

Kathy’s parents, her best friend from high school, the local druggist, even the Oberhausen twins are all acting curiously creepy, odiously odd, and wholly weird. Especially the town’s super geeky nerd, Gerald, who warns of dark days ahead.

Has Kathy entered a zone in the twilight? Did she reach the limits that are outer? Has she fallen through a mirror that is black? Or is it just—just—politics as usual!

Estimated Length: 4.4 hours
Publisher: Magpie Press; (Spring 2021)
Publication Date: April 13, 2021
Genre: Horror/Comedy
Language: English
Available on Amazon, Audible, and iTunes

Order on #Amazon now: https://tinyurl.com/y5p94k3e

Not an audiobook reader? Grab an e-Book copy of the book for only $.99! For a limited time only! https://tinyurl.com/6m5vppx4

#bookstagram #horror #comedy #blogtour #kindle #ebook #book #kindleunlimited #audiobook

GIVEAWAY!!!

Win an audiobook copy of Creature Feature! Just enter the Rafflecopter link below. Open world wide. Ends June 17th, 2021.

Rafflecopter 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Audiobook not your preferred format? Then leave a comment on this blog post answering this question to be entered into a random drawing for an ebook copy: What is one of your favorite fictional creatures?

Voice Actors:

Seamus Dever:
Seamus Dever is best known to television audiences as Detective Kevin Ryan on ABC’s Castle. He played Sherlock Holmes in the Audie Award-winning “Hound of the Baskervilles” with LA Theatre Works and has 10 other radio plays with them and the BBC. He is the voice of the villain John Seed in the hit video game “Far Cry 5” and originated the DC Comic’s bad guy Trigon on “Titans.” Dever has performed in over 80 plays and has 300 hours of television to his name. He lives in Los Angeles with his wife, Juliana.

Juliana Dever:
Juliana Dever is a professional actor, writer, and world traveler.  She’s best known for her role as Jenny Ryan on the globally popular show Castle. Recently you may have seen her brilliant per-formance in “Stalked by My Husband’s Ex” on Lifetime. Having traveled to over 60 countries, her award-winning travel blog CleverDeverWherever.com (named Best Independent Travel Blog in North America) helps readers find unexpected experiences in unusual places. She curates ad-ventures though former communist countries and Frommer’s listed her tours as a trend that will shape travel.

About the Author:

Steven Paul Leiva:
A Scribe award-winner, receiving the praise of Ray Bradbury and the Oscar-winning film producer, Richard Zanuck, Steven Paul Leiva is no stranger to the business of telling a good story. Author of several novels, and with a writing-style that lays hard on the satire, this Hollywood-escapee doesn’t pull punches when it comes to politics.

Need to know more? Follow him on Amazon or Goodreads, or check out his blog here: http://emotionalrationalist.blogspot.com/p/about-steven-paul-leiva.html 

MY REVIEW 

Creature Feature is a fun fast-paced old-timey horror flick with plenty of humor. I enjoyed it for the one-line jokes, the crazy situations, and the odd the characters all tossed together in a completely unexpected situation. Kathy, who at times does come off as a vain self-involved woman, has her moments to shine as a woman of action. Meanwhile, Gerald’s years as a science fiction lover and tech nerd have finally paid off – in the form of a supped up Vespa! Haha! I love the imagery.

Gerald has unwittingly tapped into something he didn’t expect and doesn’t really understand and now the whole of Placidville is in dire straights! But the first step is convincing Kathy, who really doesn’t want to have anything to do with him. lol poor dude. There’s a new and rather handsome mayor in town, Mack, who has his eyes set upon world domination via Kathy. Part pod people, part space invasion, our heroes certainly have their work cut out for them.

Obviously, there was a lot I enjoyed about this story. There were a few minor quibbles, like Kathy is really the only female character who is plot relevant. Even her mom and best friend Mary aren’t what they seem for much of the story. And I didn’t really bond with any of the characters. Gerald was the closest, but he’s pretty much just a joke punching bag for people to make fun of nerds in general. Really, Mack had the most drive and even though he was the villain, I kinda liked him for it. Still, the plot kept me engaged the entire time.

There are a few sorta adult jokes that would easily go over the heads of kids, though there’s one that is a bit crude (fine for me but maybe not for a family road trip… depending on the kids). Mostly safe for work. 4/5 stars.

The Narration & Sound Effects: The narration was well done all around. With both narrators putting in quality performances, there were plenty of believable unique voices to cover all the characters. The sound effects were well done, including the little bits of music. They never overwhelmed the narration. All sounds were easily identifiable too. The pace & timing of the narration was perfect and there were no tech issues with this recording. 5/5 stars.

I received a free copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are 100% my own.

Something in Your Mouth by Terry Maggert

Something in Your Mouth
by Terry Maggert
Narrated by: Lauren Ezzo, Kristin James, J. S. Arquin, Eric London, Lisa Zimmerman
Published 2021
Publisher: Audiobook Empire

Book Blurb

Sex. Horror. Discomfort.

In five stories and one poem, you’ll find questions– and answers, and you might learn something about yourself along the way. Something uncomfortable. Something dark.

My Review

I’ve enjoyed several fantasy novels by Terry Maggert so I looked forward to diving into this collection of his horror short stories. It is indeed a dark and twisted collection of tales! 4.5/5 stars.

A Warm Cuppa – I’ll never look at a kid’s tea party the same again! This was a delightfully messed up story. In the hunt for quality sexytime with the little girl’s mommy, this guy (who has no real interest in kids) decides the best way to score time with the mom, is to find a gift for the kid that will keep the squirt occupied for hours. What starts as a steamy hook up, ends horrifically.

Znapper – Now I look at the nearby pig farm with suspicion! This was a different kid of messed up. There’s pigs, a big old snapping turtle, and a rude alcoholic. In the end, I wanted to know more about the guy who supplied the special liquor. I feel this story could be a short prequel to something more.

Cool to the Touch – Zombie sex (shudder). Apparently, the world has fallen to some virus. The story opens with a husband saying his last goodbye to his wife in a very intimate way. Lots of graphic sex. Normally, that’s a hooray! from me but the story wanders into zombies sex. Being a biologist, I shudder at the thought of anyone putting their genitals against or in dead things. Anyhoo, our main guy gets more than he was expecting and he’s none too happy about it.

The Mother Tongue – Well, that could very explain somethings about mother church! This one made me chuckle. I love the simple subversive nature of this story. The pope and his cardinals aren’t exactly a source of religious wisdom and light in this tale. In fact, there’s something very weird going on. Really enjoyed this one.

Pictures for Pleasure – Ha! The hunt for the perfect sex life is never over. This one had me laughing at inappropriate moments. There’s these two sisters and they are both suffering a bit from the amorous natures of their respective husbands. Since it looks like they won’t be able to slow their men down, they look for a way to catch up with them.

Burroughs and the Congolese Dr. – I want more! One short poem is not enough! I can see a whole trilogy built on this premise alone.

The Narration: Each story had a single narrator and I liked that the gender of the narrator matched the main character in each tale. The overall narration was top notch. All the characters had distinct voices and the male characters sounded masculine and the female characters sounded feminine. I especially like the old grumpy alcoholic woman in Znapper. The hick voices for the sisters in Pictures for Pleasure were also great. There were no tech issues with the recording. 5/5 stars.

I received early access to this audiobook in exchange for an honest review. My opinions are 100% my own.

To the Bone by Ken Lindsey

To the Bone
Gavin English Thrillers, Book 1
By: Ken Lindsey
Narrated by: Neil Holmes
Series: Gavin English Thrillers, Book 1
Length: 2 hrs and 52 mins
Unabridged Audiobook
Release date: 05-07-20
Language: English
Publisher: Ken Lindsey

Book Blurb

A hard-luck private detective, just getting by. A mother who refuses to give up on her missing daughter. Can Gavin English find the girl before it’s too late?

Two teenage girls go missing in the span of one year- both are labeled runaways and forgotten by the system. Forgotten, until Rachel, a determined mother, walks into the office of private investigator, Gavin English. She needs to know for sure what’s happened to her daughter, Jennifer. A nice pair of legs and a little cash go a long way, so he’s on the case.

When the mangled body of the first runaway is found downtown, and all the signs point to a cannibal, Gavin worries that Jennifer may suffer the same fate. Can he find the girl, and the killer, before it’s too late?

To the Bone is a bloody, dark, and sexy psychological thriller, and the first Gavin English Thriller.

My Review

To the Bone had a noir, gritty feel to it. Private eye Gavin English is kind of a mess. He drinks too much, has a bad attitude, and his motivations are questionable. Yet I couldn’t turn my eyes away from this train wreck known as Gavin who does manage to pull himself together long enough to solve this gruesome case. Plus, we fancy the same handgun, so he can’t be all bad.

As much as I liked the dark atmosphere of this story, I did wish the ladies had a better showing. They are all either sex objects or victims, with the exception of the nice lady running the phones at the principal’s office. Gavin certainly is sexist but I have to say that since the story itself isn’t balanced with a strong, plot-bending female, the tale comes off as sexist as well. Even though this is a short tale, that did turn me off here and there.

The story does reveal to the reader clues about the killer right away and then perhaps half way through, we know who it is but Gavin still has to figure it out. I really liked the suspense the tale was building. There was a bit of cat and mouse going on as the killer has his eye on Gavin, gauging whether he’s a real threat or not.

There’s a bit of an abrupt wrap up though. All that suspense and then things just wind up really quick. That said, the ending was very satisfying. 3.5/5 stars. PS – I’m not convinced that Gavin actually spends time at a gym.

The Narration: Neil Holmes was a good pick for Gavin’s voice. He’s got that hard used, don’t care, drank too much last night voice that suits Gavin perfectly. Holmes also had great voices for the girls, capturing their raw emotions very well. His adult female voice for Rachel needed some polishing but his older lady voice for the school receptionist was spot on. The pacing was good and there were no tech issues with the recording. 4.5/5 stars.

I received a free copy of this book. My opinions are 100% my own.

Crack by D. E. McCluskey

Crack
By: D E McCluskey
Narrated by: Tim Welch
Length: 9 hrs and 54 mins
Unabridged Audiobook
Release date: 06-24-20
Language: English
Publisher: David McCluskey

Book Blurb

Addiction is an affliction.

As you crave you endure sweats, irritations, sleepless nights. Your life suffers, your job suffers…. Your family suffers.

But you need it. You have to have your fix.

Joe O’Hara is having a bad morning, and it’s just about to get worse.

A random road traffic accident sends him on the path to addiction. Crack is the only thing that can give him any relief from his living hell – but it’s a far cry from the crack you might think it is.

Crack is a psychological horror from D E McCluskey, author of The Twelve.

My Review

This wasn’t the book I was expecting. It’s firmly in the Horror genre but parts of it read like snuff porn. I was expecting more psychological thriller and less sexual violence over all. The book does open with a scene that portends what the rest of the story will be like; had this not been a for-review book, I would have put it down there. It’s just not my cup of tea.

The main character, Joe, snapped at some point prior to where this story starts. Life pushed him too hard and he couldn’t take it and all that internal rage cracked out into this unhealthy need to kill. Cracking skulls is the only thing that gives Joe a few days of peace these days. The story shows how his need escalates from killing animals to killing women. There’s a fair amount of description spent on Joe’s orgasms, which occur with each cracked skull. It definitely adds to the ick factor that is Joe’s life.

The story goes from one victim to the next: animals, Joe beating up his wife, the women he kills, his therapist who he fantasizes about, etc. Joe doesn’t have much of a personality throughout the story. At first, it’s a little interesting because Joe has this imaginary friend he talks to, but the interest quickly faded for me because Joe remains a one-dimensional character throughout. Though, there at the very end, the plot tries to humanize him.

The ladies are victims and romantic interests throughout. All the male characters, not just Joe, refer to the women as girls throughout the story, failing to make the distinction between actual girls and grown women. If it was just Joe doing that, I would say it’s part of his character, but the other men do it too. The ladies had small roles. Even Paula, the police detective, is sexualized and made a victim throughout. One of the victims even gets her hands undone from Joe’s restraints and then, conveniently, gives up and lets the end come. So I was pretty disappointed in the use of the female characters all around.

For me, the end was unsatisfactory. There is no real justice. 2.5/5 stars.

The Narration: Tim Welch had an odd cadence to his narration. He put extra emphasis on a few words each sentence, like he was trying to add excitement or anticipation to each and every sentence. It was part old-time radio drama and part sports announcer. I got used to it and for some scenes, like the gory murder scenes, it made sense. I did like his voice over all for Joe. Welch tried to give each character their own voice, but they often blended together if 2 or more characters were talking together. His female voices could use more femininity. There were no technical issues with the recording. 3/5 stars.

I received a free copy of this book. My opinions are 100% my own.

Zombie Perdition by Javan Bonds

Zombie Perdition
By: Javan Bonds
Narrated by: S.W. Salzman
Series: Still Alive Series, Book 7
Length: 10 hrs and 34 mins
Unabridged Audiobook
Release date: 06-25-20
Language: English
Publisher: If I Only Had A Monkey

Book Blurb

At the end of the world, the zombies are not the scariest monsters. Something evil and vile now hides among the sheep seeking to devour its very heart.

Pastor Mike Brown and his wife, Lauren, are loved by the congregation of the church that rose from the ashes of the zombie apocalypse. But a dark secret, if discovered, could destroy everything.

As Guntersville Island’s fledgling government attempts to solve the mystery of a growing number of missing children, it must ask some hard questions about the messianic leader.

Meanwhile, on the Viva Ancora, Mo, Smokes, and the remainder of the main protagonists continue their trip toward the sea in search of a possible cure. Meeting new friends and foes along the way is, of course, a given: not to mention Mo’s constant complaining.

Will evil win control of paradise? Who can stop its sadistic hunger? Do we need a Hero? Is that a pig?

It’s the end of the world as we know it. Join us, friend. In places where the zombies bite…fish bite…life always bites…and some people bite.

Welcome to Zombie Perdition.

My Review

I happily dived back into this series, having enjoyed the previous books in the series. But this one was a little different from the previous books. First, there’s very little of Mo and Smokes and Crow (my favorite characters). Instead we follow Mo’s cousin, Benjamin, the pilot. Second, the book has a more serious tone. There’s still some pop culture references but a lot less than the previous books. It feels more horror and less comedy.

Benjamin is a decent character. He feels like a well-rounded action hero. I’d pick him for my dodge ball team. He doesn’t have the goofiness of the Viva Ancora crew though. While his girlfriend does kick some butt while in a superhero outfit, I found her California Valley Girl accent annoying.

Really, I simply missed the old crew.

Meanwhile, there is some stuff happening back on Guntersville Island with the Pastor Mike Brown. He and his wife are about as evil as they get. There’s cannibalism to be dealt with. At the end of the previous book, we had one character who was looking into the missing kids and he had found a solid lead. Well, this book confirms that he did indeed meet his end for good. No way out of it. And I was sad to see that character gone too.

Anyhoo, there’s lots of action and gooey zombie slaying. Quite messy. While there’s less humor in this story than previous books, what humor there is is mostly poop jokes and political humor. I wanted to laugh and enjoy the clever satire I found amusing in previous books, but that was missing with this story. Poop jokes just aren’t that funny and I use my books as an escape from current affairs and politics so the last thing I want to bump into is a bunch of political jokes. In short, most of the humor didn’t work for me.

All around, it wasn’t what I was expecting. It’s not bad, but I had certain expectations based on the previous books in the series. I went into it wanting one thing and instead got it’s more serious, less fun cousin. 3.5/5 stars.

The Narration: S. W. Salzman gives a solid performance, as usual. I liked his voice for Benjamin, which sounded well grounded and used to making the tough decisions. His Valley Girl voice was spot on, even if I found the character a bit annoying. I was surprised that he didn’t have much of n accent (or any?) for Akata (the engineer from Zimbabwe and EZ Collins’s girlfriend). Salzman had unique voices for all the characters and his female voices were feminine. The pacing was good and there were no technical issues with the recording. 4.5/5 stars.

I received a free copy of this book. My opinions are 100% my own.

Washington, Dead City Series (1-3) by Brian Parker

Gnash
By: Brian Parker
Narrated by: Andrew B. Wehrlen
Series: Washington, Dead City Series, Book 1
Length: 9 hrs and 45 mins
Unabridged Audiobook
Release date: 05-30-19
Language: English
Publisher: Muddy Boots Press, LLC

Book Blurb

An ancient fundamentalist organization executes several attacks simultaneously across the globe. A deadly viral compound is unleashed in the Pentagon, and the airborne virus turns the building’s population into zombies. A Secret Service agent, coerced by the terrorists to assassinate several heads of state, sends the world into chaos.

Meanwhile, a former army officer stranded in the Midwest is forced to fight for his life while his fiance is trapped in the Washington, DC quarantine zone and a desperate US Army Delta team searches for a way to end the madness.

They must each fight for their own survival as the nation battles to end the zombie threat before it becomes a global pandemic.

My Review

Decent start to a zombie series. I liked the action and different viewpoints. It’s a big mess and I enjoyed watching our heroes fight their different battles. Plus there’s more than one type of zombie, which keeps our heroes guessing. Chief among our characters was Grayson Donnelly, who checks off the main boxes for an all-round American hero.

The women are romantic interests and they needed protection and lots of reassurance. Obviously, I wanted more out of the ladies. Emory Perry (Grayson’s fiance) is OK but I would have liked to see her kicking more arse.

The zombie bacteria-virus is an interesting idea. Though my biology degree laughed at some of the ‘science’ and also at the way the bio hazard was tackled. Still, it was a fun basis for zombies. I liked that people didn’t know at all how they were created nor exactly how to kill them nor how to prevent the spread of the illness that creates these monsters.

Action packed, fast moving. 3/5 stars

Narration: Andrew B. Wehrlen has a good voice for the guys. It was OK for the ladies. Mostly clear, distinct voices though sometimes individual words  mushed together. Wehrlen sounded like he was enjoying the story too. There were no tech issues. 4/5 stars

I received a free copy of this book. My opinions are 100% my own.

Rend
By: Brian Parker
Narrated by: Andrew B. Wehrlen
Series: Washington, Dead City Series, Book 2
Length: 8 hrs and 5 mins
Unabridged Audiobook
Release date: 06-19-19
Language: English
Publisher: Muddy Boots Press, LLC

Book Blurb

Six years ago, the president made the difficult decision to abandon Washington to the undead-and The Wall was built to keep them trapped inside. Now, a new presidential election revives the hopes of the nation as one candidate promises to retrieve the Declaration of Independence and Constitution from behind The Wall.

Retired CIA operative Asher Hawke, AKA the Kestrel, agrees to lead a team to recover the national treasures. But when they insert behind The Wall, they discover that organized crime families have been stealing priceless artwork and cash as well as disposing of bodies behind The Wall.

My Review

I like the containment wall. However, the quest to get some historical documents back out of the radiation & zombie zone seems silly to me. Lots of hooray, we’re Americans fist pumping. While I liked all the action, the radiation stuff was weak. The story would have benefited from a bit more research in radiation safety, like how radiation affects cloth and fabric. Heck, radiation is hard on everything including metal and electronics.

The ladies are romantic interests, once again, and need protecting and lots of reassurance. I liked some things about Ash but in other moments I rolled my eyes. A little bit of mansplaining goes a long way. Ash’s girlfriend, FBI Agent Allison, was OK. I think she would have been a better character without being involved with Ash.

While we met Asher in Book 1, Gnash, he gets to be the star of this book. He’s interesting enough on the surface. With all the action in this series, I don’t really need my characters to have depth. The art thieves group was a fun addition to the story (even if the issue of fencing radioactive art is never really addressed).

It was fun, fast-paced. 3.5/5 stars

Narration: Andrew B. Wehrlen’s narration has improved from book one. Individual words are clearer. The female character voices are better too. He had individual voices for all the male characters. Great voice for Ash. The pacing is still a bit slow. No tech issues. 4/5 stars

I received a free copy of this book. My opinions are 100% my own.

Sever
By: Brian Parker
Narrated by: Andrew B. Wehrlen
Series: Washington, Dead City Series, Book 3
Length: 9 hrs and 15 mins
Unabridged Audiobook
Release date: 07-03-19
Language: English
Publisher: Muddy Boots Press, LLC

Book Blurb

It takes political intrigue – and plenty of tanks – to defeat zombies.

Escaped zombies from behind the wall have swept across the northeast, their path marked by havoc and death. Into this nightmare world are thrust several unlikely heroes.

A full-time national guard soldier leads his company of tanks on a harrowing journey towards the Appalachian Defensive Line.

A small group of refugees fight for their own survival and end up facing demons of a different sort.

A hero from the last zombie war must fight against the first invasion of the continental United States in over 200 years.

Retired CIA operative Asher Hawke, AKA the Kestrel, will stop at nothing to eliminate the zombie threat – and save the nation that he’s dedicated his life to protect.

My Review

I liked that the zombies are such a problem and there’s 3 kinds now, with hive-like communication and control. The US army isn’t ready for this! What a mess! Ash is still the main focus but we also get some new viewpoints like Maria and the people she ends up fighting with on the front lines.

Once again, the ladies are romantic interests and for the most part need protection and reassurance. For the series, the ladies are pretty interchangeable. Ash hooks up with his neighbor, Rachel, who is recently divorced. He really didn’t like her in the previous book and doesn’t seem to like her in this one until they wind up drunk in bed together. Tis ridiculous. Anyway, she gets fridged and that spurs Ash on to great heroics (which is pretty cliche).

I did like Ash’s big hunt and final personal battle. They have a nifty cure for being bitten now. Sometimes it’s called a vaccine and sometimes anti-venom, etc. My inner biologist cringes at the lack of precision or at least consistency in medical terms. 4/5 stars

Narration: Andrew B. Wehrlen’s pacing is still a little slow. Words are clear. The women sound like women for the most part. Good voice for Ash. Maria’s Cubano accent came and went and wasn’t very good. A few mispronounced words like ‘lithe’. No tech issues. 4/5 stars

I received a free copy of this book. My opinions are 100% my own.

Conversations with the Dead by Carmen Fox

Conversations with the Dead
A Trio of Short Stories
By: Carmen Fox
Narrated by: Lauren Ezzo
Length: 53 mins
Unabridged Audiobook
Release date: 07-25-16
Language: English
Publisher: Smart Heart Publishing

Book Blurb

onversations with the Dead is a themed trio of very short stories – yes, three very short stories – perhaps better described as anecdotal tales with a spooky twist.

In “Of Ghosts and Ghouls”, Kelly is a very naughty girl, and her ill deeds have grave consequences. In “The Unwanted Birthday Gift”, Mary discovers the unpalatable truth about her family. And in “Tomorrow Waits for No Man”, Luke gets stuck in traffic with an unusual passenger.

My Review

Of Ghosts and Ghouls: Kelly’s mom died after having turned most of her money over to a charlatan, Bernadette, who speaks for the the ghosts and ghouls. A violent confrontation leads to a visitation from these ghouls and ghosts. Things don’t go well for Kelly. Solid horror story. Great for a campfire scare.

The Unwanted Birthday Gift: Mary is just turning 18. It’s her birthday. Her parents are separated and she has spent the week with her dad. Ice cream party! She tried to call the spirits but it might have just a been a breeze. What her mom reveals to her doesn’t make Mary happy. But there’s another twist when another relative shows up. Fun tale.

Tomorrow Waits for No Man: Luke is driving on the highway and passes a car accident, emergency vehicles everywhere. A ghost appears in the passenger seat & he tries to ignore him but eventually they talk. Tom (?) talks about his son and asks about Luke’s life. Luke has spent his life not committing to anything and pursuing pleasure. His car is held together with spit and twine because he hasn’t taken the time to keep it maintained. As Luke gets to know Tom and hear about all the things Tom will now miss out on, he really feels for the ghost. Then the real twist hits and it’s a good one. I think this was my favorite story of the trio. It’s also a great tale for the campfire. Has a little bit of a lesson in it too.

All around, great little horror trio. 5/5 stars.

The Narration: Lauren Ezzo gave us a great narration. Her masculine voices sound like men. Different voices for all the characters even though it’s 3 different stories. Especially great with old Tom and Mary’s dying mom. No tech issues with recording. 5/5 stars.

I received a free copy of this book. My opinions are 100% my own.