A grim, disconcerting tale of ghosts and supernatural assaults.
A 200-year-old spirit in search of a bride torments members of a family both living and dead in this paranormal thriller.
Michael Winworth has haunted the Winworth Manor for two centuries. He yearns for a bride but can only travel so far within his New York seaside town. So he coerces help from Mayor Jonathan Gilmore, over whom Michael has leverage. The ghost killed his wife, Karen, for planning to demolish the manor and now owns her soul. He’ll free her if the mayor brings him Jonathan’s 16-year-old niece, Sarah. Michael is enamored of her and vows to kill anyone who would act inappropriately toward her. A practitioner of dark magic when alive, Michael becomes a voice in Sarah’s head and appears before her inside her unconscious mind. He also has sex with her by force and by “lowering” her inhibitions, acts that the teen rightly deems rape. But when Sarah later faces living human menaces, Michael responds homicidally. Local cop Lt. Eric Johnson investigates and, notwithstanding Sarah’s ghost story, looks for a flesh-and-blood killer. Meanwhile, Michael threatens to murder Sarah’s dad, Robert, if she doesn’t willingly marry him in an eternal union. Drighton’s paranormal tale is frequently disturbing. Most notably, the narrative during Michael’s rape of Sarah is in the style of erotica: "This caused her opening to reveal more of her most forbidden fruit, and he longed to taste her sweet nectar.” But Michael’s villainy is unquestionable, as he periodically tortures his brother Jason’s soul. The dialogue-laden story is fitting for scenes with spirits, including Michael and Sarah’s mother, Helen, who tries helping her family. Things get progressively darker as certain characters become seedier and Michael eventually takes over someone’s body with unnerving results. Readers will likely anticipate more mayhem in the book’s final chapters.
A grim, disconcerting tale of ghosts and supernatural assaults.Pub Date: Sept. 17, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-68470-750-8
Page Count: 192
Publisher: Lulu
Review Posted Online: April 8, 2020
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
A unique story of transcendent love.
An aimless young musician meets the girl of his dreams only to have his newfound happiness threatened by several inexplicable—and possibly supernatural—events.
The story opens as Leeds Gabriel meets with a detective while his girlfriend, Layla, is restrained in a room one flight above them. Through the interview, readers learn that Leeds was wasting both his time and his musical talent playing backup for a small-town wedding troupe called Garrett’s Band when he spied Layla dancing her heart out to their mediocre music at a wedding. When Leeds approaches Layla, their connection is both instant and intense. A blissful courtship follows, but then Leeds makes the mistake of posting a picture of himself with Layla on social media. A former girlfriend–turned-stalker wastes no time in finding and attacking Layla. Layla spends months recovering in a hospital, and it seems the girl Leeds fell for might be forever changed. Gone is her special spark, her quirkiness, and the connection that had entranced Leeds months before. In a last-ditch effort to save their relationship, he brings Layla back to the bed-and-breakfast where they first met. When they get there, though, Leeds meets Willow, another guest, and finds himself drawn to her in spite of himself. As events unfold, it becomes clear that Willow will either be the key to saving Leeds’ relationship with Layla or the catalyst that finally extinguishes the last shreds of their epic romance. Told entirely from Leeds’ point of view, the author’s first foray into paranormal romance does not disappoint. Peppered with elements of mystery, psychological thriller, and contemporary romance, the novel explores questions about how quickly true love can develop, as well as the conflicts that can imperil even the strongest connections. Despite a limited cast of characters and very few setting changes, the narrative manages to remain both fast-paced and engaging. The conclusion leaves a few too many loose ends, but the chemistry between the characters and unexpected twists throughout make for a satisfying read.
A unique story of transcendent love.Pub Date: Dec. 8, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-5420-0017-8
Page Count: 301
Publisher: Montlake Romance
Review Posted Online: Sept. 15, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2020
Well-drawn characters introduce the criminal underworld to the occult kind in a breathless and compelling plot.
A Yale sophomore fights for her life as she balances academics with supernatural extracurriculars in this smart fantasy thriller, the second in a series.
Galaxy “Alex” Stern is a member of Lethe House, the ninth of Yale’s secret societies. And not just any member—she’s Virgil, the officer who conducts the society's rituals. In the world of Bardugo’s Alex Stern series, Yale’s secret societies command not just powerful social networks, but actual magic; it’s Lethe’s job to keep that magic in control. Alex is new to the role. She had to take over in a hurry after the previous Virgil, Darlington, her mentor and love interest, disappeared in a cliffhanger at the end of the first book. He appears to be in hell, but is he stuck there for good? Alex and Pamela Dawes—Lethe’s Oculus, or archivist/administrator—have found a reference to a pathway called a Gauntlet that can open a portal to hell, but can they find the Gauntlet itself? And what about the four murderers the Gauntlet ritual requires? Meanwhile, Alex’s past as a small-time drug dealer is catching up with her, adding gritty street crime to the demonic white-collar evil the Yale crowd tends to prefer. The plot is relentless and clever, and the writing is vivid, intelligent, and funny at just the right moments, but best of all are the complex characters, such as the four murderers, each with a backstory that makes it possible for the reader to trust them to enter hell and have the strength to leave again. Like the first book, this one ends with a cliffhanger.
Well-drawn characters introduce the criminal underworld to the occult kind in a breathless and compelling plot.Pub Date: Jan. 10, 2023
ISBN: 978-1-250-31310-2
Page Count: 496
Publisher: Flatiron Books
Review Posted Online: Nov. 15, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2022
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