fuonlyknew

It’s time for some Hump Day Reviews.

Got a couple of good ones for you.

Check out Behold! and Iced

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Behold! Oddities, Curiosities and Undefinable Wonders

edited by Doug Murano

Genre: horror / fantasy/ Short Story Collection

My Review

The moment I got my greedy little hands on this book I was giddy with glee. I love the strange, unusual and creepy and this had it all.

The story has three parts, Oddities, Curiosities and Undefinable Wonders. Not wanting to risk spoilers, I’d say that sums it up nicely. Creepy gardens, gnomes, clowns, mysterious whatevers and more all await your curiosity.

There is just too much awesomeness in this collection to single out any favorites. Some of these talented authors are old friends and some are new to me. All of them are in top form, entertaining me with their various tales.

Make sure you don’t skip past the foreword. It’s a smart piece of work in itself, explaining what awaits you when you get to the meat of the book. As R.L. Stine says, “Beware. You’re in for a scare.”

Loved every bit of this book. I bet you will too. Try it and see. And remember to breathe.

5 Stars

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 I received my ARC copy of BEHOLD! from Crystal Lake Publishing. Thanks so much and thank you to these amazing authors.

Synopsis

Crystal Lake Publishing and Doug Murano, the Bram Stoker Award-nominated editor of GUTTED: BEAUTIFUL HORROR STORIES, are proud to present BEHOLD! ODDITIES, CURIOSITIES AND UNDEFINABLE WONDERS.

Slide into the spaces between the ordinary. Embrace the odd. Indulge your curiosity. Surrender to wonder. Witness as the finest talents of our time bring you tales of the strangeness at the edges of existence.

Featuring:

Clive Barker, John Langan, Neil Gaiman, Ramsey Campbell, Lisa Morton, Brian Kirk, Hal Bodner, Stephanie M. Wytovich, Erinn Kemper, John F.D. Taff, Patrick Freivald, Lucy Snyder, Brian Hodge, Kristi DeMeester, Christopher Coake, Sarah Read, and Richard Thomas.

With a foreword by Josh Malerman.

Pre-order on Amazon

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Iced

A Resort To Murder Mystery  #1

by Avery Daniels

Genre: Mystery

 My Review

I have a fondness for cozy mysteries. They have such quirky titles and colorful covers. And there are so many themes. Food, pets, sewing, clothing and more. The theme for this book is new to me.

It’s never a dull moment for Julienne. She works at a luxurious resort as an event planner. Everything must run smoothly and last minute changes will be accommodated. Except when it’s a dead body. Somebody killed the beloved Pastor Tom. Ran him through with an ice sculpture.

Julienne had an earlier incident with the pastor so she’s suspect number one in the eyes of Detective Lawrence. If it was up to him, they need look no further for the killer.

She knows she didn’t kill the pastor and Julienne enlists the help of some friends and the sexy new neighbor to sort things out and bring the killer to justice.

Quite the mystery. There was no clear suspect. My radar pinged on one, but then I didn’t read about that person again until way further in the story. And I was wrong.

I enjoyed reading about Julienne’s personal life as much as I did the mystery. She’s fighting for her independence. Her dad thinks she should get married and have babies. And her boyfriend seems to have her future all mapped out for her. When she’s finally had enough and puts her foot down, or rather stamps it, I applauded her. I like strong female protagonists and I was with her all the way as she carved out her own life.

You don’t have to be a cozy fan to enjoy this book. It’s got lots of colorful characters, fun dialogue, and an ending that comes out of left field. It’s good clean fun.

4 Stars

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Synopsis

Julienne has her ideal job as an event planner at a prestigious resort. During a luncheon event she coordinated, a renowned celebrity pastor is killed next to the buffet. All eyes turn to her as the suspect. If she wants to stay out of jail or even keep her job, Julienne needs all the help she can get to solve the crime.

She has her work cut out for her with a vengeful high school rival now reporter, the public demanding she be fired, plus family who knows what’s best for her, and a boyfriend who doesn’t understand her. She turns to friends and a new ally to uncover who wanted to put the pastor on ice.

Julienne goes undercover and investigates a local swingers group as she follows the trail of clues before they go cold. Can she gather enough suspects and motives to convince the police to widen their investigation? Can she do it before the killer sets his murderous sights on her? Will her personal life ever be as simple as unveiling a murderer?

Amazon

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You can find a list of my reviews HERE.