Review: Thin Air

4 stars. Holy moly - Michelle Paver really sneaks up on you! This book was downright heart pounding - even before things ramped up I was jumping at noises and spooked by shadows. Highly recommend for fans of arctic horror, historical horror, or ghost stories. It packs a punch.

Through the eyes of the group doctor, Stephen, this book chronicles an expedition taken by five Englishman in 1935 to climb and summit Kangchenjunga, the third highest peak in the world. Following almost literally in the footsteps of the mountaineers who attempted before them, the group faces extreme weather, altitude sickness, and avalanche risk to reach their goal. And there's something else, something that feels very off, and very sinister... something that is stalking Stephen to the point of madness.

Paver effectively explores one of my favorite themes in Dark Matter, and she returns to it here: man's determination to conquer the wild. The pursuit of honor and glory - to be "first" - to achieve greatness - to be recognized in the history books. I enjoyed the way Stephen reckoned with this: in the face of threats both natural and supernatural, even at his most terrified, or most exhilarated.

"Perhaps that’s what we find frightening. Being on a mountain forces us to confront the vast, unsentient reality that’s always present behind our own busy little human world, which we tuck arounon:d ourselves like a counterpane, to keep out the cold. No wonder that when we trespass into the mountains, we create phantoms. They’re easier to bear than all this lifelessness."

And it was smart to weave in a competitive brotherly relationship. Much more interesting and compelling than say, sexual tension. I also loved Paver's British colloquialisms, which only added to the story and even the horror at times. I didn't appreciate Cedric - a blatant trick that she's used in books before! - but was able to determine his arc early so I didn't have to be absolutely petrified for him the whole time.

I have to applaud Paver, as well, for making something like a backpack so profoundly diabolical. And, as always, for embracing a story about ghostly darkness dancing with something even darker: the selfishness of human ego. I have a feeling this one will stick with me. 

"...that lump of rock and ice will be there when the human race has broken and receded like a wave. It will never know what dreams and fears it has inspired, or what fierce desire. It will never know what haunts it."

Thin Air on: Amazon | Bookshop.org | Goodreads

Review: The Lovers (Charlie Parker #8)

4 stars. I was so excited for this one - finally, some answers about Charlie's origins! I always knew his father's backstory was going to be dark, and man, was it dark. But the lore clicked right into place. No awkward retconning to be found. And I was especially excited that this one leaned supernatural. After a quick break, the angels and demons are back and as formidable and mysterious as ever. 

“Not every wound needs to be poked and opened, and not every wrong needs to be reexamined, or dragged kicking and screaming into the light. Better just to let the wound heal, even if it doesn’t heal quite right, or to leave the wrongs in the dark, and remind yourself not to go stepping into the shadows if you can avoid it.”

Except when you've read 7 of these books and want more!! Aimless without his PI license, Charlie Parker gets a job at a local bar and decides to tackle his most personal case yet: his father's final days. As soon as he starts kicking up dust, however, he learns that his origin story - the story of his very identity - is not what it seems. Feeling cornered by a true crime writer with ill motives, and a pair of teenagers who seem hellbent on his destruction, Charlie must find the truth while staring down what haunts him most deeply: his past. 

I docked a star because of some... cheesiness. I can't think of what else to call it. The ghosts, the writing on Mickey Wallace's car window... I don't know how else to say it, but I sort of think incorporating Susan and Jennifer's spirits more subtly would've been more powerful. There's also the usual fatphobia and odd treatment of women. 

But this book - which is perhaps less action-packed and more story/character-based than some of the others - is as enjoyable as I've come to expect. While certain aspects were a little predictable, there were also some great twists. The increased focus/emphasis on the world of cops and the NYPD gave it a Tana French Dublin Murder Squad feel, which I didn't mind at all. 

Charlie's still Charlie. He needs to learn to lead with honey more often. That dude is pricklier than a pear. But I root for him so hard. I can't wait to see which rabbit hole he falls into next.

The Lovers on: Amazon | Bookshop.org | Goodreads

Review: The Bone Mother

5 stars. I want more. 

This outstanding collection of vignettes - some truly terrifying, others more subtle - weaves traditional figures from Slavic folklore into dark and brutal events from history. Each story is accompanied by a historical photograph; they range in size from a page or two to longer chapters. They are interconnected, but the stories stand on their own, featuring many unique and uniquely terrifying mythological monsters. And of course, the darkest monster of them all: people.

This could not have been more up my alley, and it did not disappoint. I don't say this lightly: it's well-written. Not a word is wasted - the author's style packs a punch. I loved that in many of the stories, characters who encounter something dark or unusual aren't really questioned - they are believed, and the issue is addressed according to those beliefs. It's a fascinating angle to examine folklore. And it makes for some scary stories.

Eye-opening, creative, and captivating - my highest recommendation. I want more!

The Bone Mother on: Amazon | Bookshop.org | Goodreads | StoryGraph

Review: The Occultists

4 stars. This is by far one of the most interesting horror novels I've ever read. It took me ages, but I think the amount of time I spent in this story only added to my investment and curiosity about where it would lead. I understand why other reviewers want to discuss in a book club - I'd love to hear how others would unpack this; I'd love to hear the theories. 

Lonely teen Max Grahame forms a plan to escape his circumstances, made dire by a bully of a stepfather and a very ill mother. He takes a job at his small town's postmaster's office, only to discover that the postmaster has a peculiar and secret interest - magic. As Max learns more about his employer's occult beliefs and practices, his world widens, his talent takes off, and he becomes aware of his unintentional role in a conflict between two factions - dangerous, and global - cosmic, even - in scale.

Heaps of praise around the author's research is well deserved. This truly reads like a slice of history with real events and elements sprinkled in. Max's journey is also, I would say, impeccably designed. It's an almost perfect full circle novel, with several seemingly random loose threads woven back into the fabric beautifully before the end. That care and deliberation (which is also apparent in the writing itself) is what earns 4 stars from me.

My quibbles: Max sometimes read his age but often felt much younger to me. Pacing - as others have noted, the story really, really dragged toward the end. The figurative language was a bit much - maybe slightly overwrought - at times. I didn't always enjoy the way female characters - their bodies, their breath, their physicality - were described. And much of this story felt a little bit unknowable, or untouchable, or inaccessible, to me. 

But honestly: no regrets. This is a hidden gem, very unique, and very creative. Not a consistent page turner, but worthy of your concentration and commitment. The moments of horror will stick with you.

For more: Vita Nostra, A Dark Song (film), The Illusionist (film). 

Review: The Buffalo Hunter Hunter

5 stars. I'm a big fan of SGJ, but The Buffalo Hunter Hunter is truly on another level. Perhaps the bloodiest book I've ever read, this story takes on vampire lore from a brutal angle. It's not the flowiest read - the prose is intentionally and beautifully antiquated - but needing to slow down and focus on the historical language actually lent itself to some startling moments. In other words, I was concentrating so hard I got jump-scared a few times. 

Let's back up. Written in epistolary format (my favorite), this story also takes on a Russian Nesting Doll structure. In 2012, Etsy Beucarne begins transcribing the journal of her extra great grandfather, Arthur, who, in 1812, writes down the chronicle of a Native American named Good Stab, as told to him over the course of several Sundays while the town around them is plagued by mysterious and violent murders. And that's it - that's where I'll end with the specific details. I would emphasize that this is a deeply American horror story, weaving tragedies gigantic and small into a dark and devastating tapestry. You've been warned.

I suppose I could include a few things that didn't fully resonate with me: the ending, which was super imaginative and unpredictable, but not necessarily what I was hoping for. Etsy, as well - this is a very male book in general, which is kind of understandable but also I sort of... missed female energy, and the female energy that did make it in was honestly just annoying. I've heard that the audiobook version of this is incredible, though, and that Etsy's narrator does an impressive job. So take that for what you will.

I do think that this book is, or will become, foundational historical horror. There's a lot to be said about the horror lens and the way we experience, process, or learn through the act of consuming something scary. I personally - a White female of privilege who received an imperfect but multifaceted education around Native American history - learned a lot. And I have a lot more to learn. As a horror fan, I really enjoyed the creative twists and turns and yes, the buckets and buckets of blood. But the way Jones tackles colonialism, capitalism, cultural memory, fractured identity,  generational trauma... that shit is truly heartbreaking.

The Buffalo Hunter Hunter on: Amazon | Bookshop.org | Goodreads

Review: The Unquiet (Charlie Parker #6)

3 stars. Not done with this series yet! Feeling really determined to keep it going. I would consider this one of the weaker installments so far, but I'm no less interested in the world this author has created and populated so lovingly with a crowd of dark, disturbing characters. 

Our poor Mr. Parker is hired by Rebecca Clay to help her deal with a stalker... a dangerous man asking questions about her father. Daniel Clay, currently missing, was a child therapist whose patients reported eerie similarities in their testimonies of abuse: being taken by men wearing bird masks. Was Daniel trapped in a web of coincidences, or was he a perpetuator? Where is he now? And this man harassing Rebecca - what is his end game? Charlie's investigation, as always, points to … the absolute worst.

This isn't the sort of writing where the words flow by quickly and your eyes fly down the page. It's dense, and detailed, and heavy. I'm now pretty accustomed to the way Connolly leans into place (with a lot of historical and geographical background about each setting), and character (side quests, tangents, episodic introductions). I missed the stronger supernatural aspects of previous books, but the subtle undertones in this one made it that much creepier. 

I still don't love his female characters, or his representation of queer and Black individuals. Charlie's sharp wit was also very dull in this one - his smartass hat felt ill-fitting, forced, and random at times. Awkward. Not at all funny, TBH. The "cleverness" in his banter with the bad guys was actually borderline annoying, maybe a little questionable or even offensive. But, I do love that Charlie Parker isn't a superhero - he operates very much in the dark for most of these stories, just like us. He makes mistakes. He's haunted, literally and figuratively, and despite his good intentions he isn't always... effective. He's interesting.

I would also mention that the plot and central mystery seemed very... convoluted. It's not that I had trouble following it all, per say... well, maybe I did. I always feel like I need a cheat sheet reading these novels and this one was no different. I also didn't read the accompanying short story, so I was missing some context. Still, the recognizable anchors - the familiar motifs - are all present and accounted for: cults, predators, ghosts. 

I'm looking forward to more. Maybe I'll even do a ranking.

The Unquiet on: Amazon | Bookshop.org | Goodreads

Review: Hell House

4 stars. Oh my gosh!! LOL. I was not expecting so many nipples. But it's about time I finally read this classic - and it was absolutely perfect for spooky season. There's plenty of sexist bullshit in here, but I have to admit: I couldn't put it down. And the premise is pretty spectacular.

At the request of an aging millionaire, four investigators - a parapsychologist and his wife, a former actress turned medium, and another medium with a dark history tied to the estate - enter Hell House, a notorious mansion steeped in blood and legend. Each arrives with their own beliefs and methods, determined to uncover proof of life after death. But as their weeklong investigation unfolds, the line between science and the supernatural blurs, and soon they’re forced to question not only what haunts the house - but what haunts them.

I truly enjoyed so much about this book: the history of the house, the mystery at its center, the moments of insanity and fear. The writing is crisp and the pace is almost frantic at times. I think it will appeal to a lot of horror movie lovers; it is cinematic and vivid. It includes a trope I particularly love: a beautiful, ornate historical house that would make an incredible museum if it weren't, you know, haunted.

Perfect? Of course not. Yes, some of the ... imagery is a little pervy, and the character of Edith in particular was so fucking annoying to me. That being said, I didn't read it as homophobic. I've seen plenty of criticism about Edith's fear of "becoming" a lesbian - but to me, that isn't the author's fear; it's the character's. And that makes sense, given her background and worldview. It's not great, sure, but anyone with a lick of sense can read this without walking away scared of or hateful toward gay women.

Anyway, I genuinely had a blast with this. 

Hell House on: Amazon | Bookshop.org | Goodreads

Review: Witchcraft for Wayward Girls

5 stars. I'll be honest: I hate it when female characters get pregnant. This bothered me before I really even had words to explain it - way before the internet discovered the word "trope." I thought it was boring, silly, and cheap. A lot of dramatic things can happen to a woman that don't involve pregnancy - why do we return to it over and over again? 

Sure, it is absolutely a dramatic thing to happen IRL. Yes, mothers absolutely deserve representation. But I can tell when pregnancy is used as a lazy plot point, like for the sake of a cliffhanger, instead of a genuine factor in a character's development. I can tell. And it drives me crazy.

Imagine how emotional it felt, then, to read this book, in which pregnancy is a major theme, and is in fact written about intentionally, powerfully, and graphically - and woven into horror, my favorite genre, by Grady Hendrix, one of my favorite authors - and how emotional it felt to feel engaged and not put off, to really lean into the narrative because it involved pregnant witches, female empowerment, and revenge...

Fifteen-year-old Neva, pregnant and due in August, is sent to the Wellwood Home in Florida: a secluded refuge for so-called wayward girls. There, stripped of her name and given a new, anonymous identity, she’s told it’s for her own good: she will deliver her baby, surrender it for adoption, and return to her old life as if nothing happened. But isolation breeds rebellion. When the girls are given a book of witchcraft, they begin to test its power. As their bodies and spirits transform, they start to redefine what it means to be “wayward.”

Grady Hendrix gets better with every book, I swear. His writing is so tight now, so full of heart - he's always been amazing at writing hopelessness, which makes it that much more amazing when the tables turn. His signature immersive slang is on full display here, as is his research into the time, place, and spaces in which the story takes place. 

I agree with others that the supernatural aspects of the plot didn't perhaps pack as big of a punch as they could have. I would also argue that they didn't need to, because the reality in which he drops us is horrific enough. The fact that he could take a situation so disturbing, so dark, so depressing, so backwards, so infuriating, so disheartening and make it even the slightest bit amusing and warm and hopeful is really incredible.

And I don't think he does it for shock value, as shocking as some of these details read on the page. I don't think he does it so we sit there in awe asking "how could we have been so ignorant as a society and enforce this ridiculous ignorance on others?" Because that is a question that has never gone away, and likely never will. Trust me, I ask it daily, about things that happen... daily. He carves another entryway into this particular issue and it is truly through the hearts and souls of these women. I felt their female resilience, and resistance, in my bones.

Captivating, gut-wrenching, and powerful. Required reading.

Witchcraft for Wayward Girls on: Amazon | Bookshop.org | Goodreads

Review: Victorian Psycho

4 stars. It's not like we haven't seen this before... in many shapes and sizes. But this one effectively - delightfully - evokes its granddaddy in all the ways that matter. Consider me deeply impressed. And disgusted. 

The Victorian psycho in question is Winifred Notty, newly appointed governess to the Pound children at Ensor House. Her wards, Andrew and Drusilla, are insufferable, though nothing compared to their dreadful parents. But Miss Notty is full of surprises, and secrets, and when guests arrive for the Christmas holiday, bloody chaos ensues.

Sharp and clever in so many ways, Victorian Psycho is a great time. It pulls a lot from the classic: the protagonist’s topsy turvy grasp on reality, dark and creative kills, etc., but this book is shorter, tighter, and simpler than its American predecessor. It still manages to weave a rich tapestry of disturbing characters. Nobody is spared by the murderess, or the author. And it's hilarious.

Check TWs. I can't recall having read a more graphic book.

Victorian Psycho on: Amazon | Bookshop.org | Goodreads

Review: The Black Angel (Charlie Parker #5)

3 stars. Recovering from a major life interruption (an injured partner, resulting in pseudo-single parenthood, during my biggest and busiest work month of the entire year - honestly it seems trite to spell it out like that but when I tell you I am tired), which means I gave this book a big ole break at the 50% mark. Jumping back in was easier than expected, though, and that's a testament to the story.

In The Black Angel, poor, haunted Charlie Parker is pulled into an investigation to locate a relative of Louis'. He discovers that her disappearance is tangled up in a treasure hunt of sorts for an icon, an icon that supposedly reveals the location of a fallen angel. Yes, an actual fallen angel. Meanwhile, balancing the dark world of his work and his new family proves impossible.

I have to admit - I'm not tired of these books yet. I'm notorious for jumping ship... it's been a longtime goal to finish the series I start. It hasn't been easy - in fact, I might call it downright challenging considering how dense and detailed these particular books are - but it has been rewarding, and honestly interesting to consume a story this way. Charlie Parker's evolution is fascinating. Still, I could use a character guide! My memory just isn't that strong anymore.

A couple of things I reacted negatively to, in this one: 1) how quickly and deeply this turned into horror fantasy. Don't get me wrong - I love horror. It's my primary genre. And I know previous books foreshadowed this. It just felt a little strange to me, like instead of an onramp we were thrown off a cliff. Like the author had an idea for a different series in a different genre but decided to plop Charlie into it because it was easier. He does his best - there are references to how things from previous books fit into the narrative - but ... idk. It felt a little bit like retconning? Allowed but annoying. 2) The writing. Amazing, but not without faults... an overreliance on "for," for one (ex: he went to the store, for he was hungry; he pulled out his umbrella, for it was raining). 3) The fatphobic and sexist elements, leftover from a previous space and time, sure, but also forming a pattern not so easily ignored in this one. 

A couple of things I really enjoyed: 1) Brightwell. The villains in this series are UNBEATABLE. 2) The religious lore/mythology. What a fascinating idea for religious horror!! Takes the Chosen One trope to a whole new/intricate level. 3) The treasure hunt concept. It's actually quite complicated in classic Connolly style, but I was happy to stick with it. The way he unfolds things is really interesting - he zooms in and out in unique ways. This lends itself to incredibly detailed (boring) tangents and deep dives into history and organized crime, but also feels really characteristic of the universe and not a dealbreaker.

Time for a quick break, but I'm excited to jump back in.

The Black Angel on: Amazon | Bookshop.org | Goodreads