Supernatural Horror

Infinite: Ghostland Trilogy Book 3 by Duncan Ralston, Narrated by Joe Hempel

/ MeltdownMessiah / Leave a comment

Duncan Ralston brings his Ghostland trilogy to a superbly fitting conclusion with Infinite. He takes us back and forth in time, as the mystery surrounding Rex Garrote’s plan is revealed, and the truth is more horrifying than anything Ben Laramie and his friends could have imagined. The stakes are higher, and the enemies are far more numerous than solely Garrote and the forces he’s aligned beside him, but Ben is not one to give up. As Ralston races us toward a final confrontation that threatens existence, we’re forced to wonder how Ben and his allies fight an enemy who seems to know what’s coming, and who seemingly orchestrated every step they’ve taken to reach this point?

It was a treat, getting this deeper glimpse into Garrote’s life and personal history, the relationship between Garrote and Hedgewood, and the previously unexpected nature of Garrote House. Similarly, getting a deeper investment in Ben and Lilian’s families was an excellent experience, as the horrors of the Dark Rift loom ahead of our heroes.

As with the previous two installments of the Ghostland trilogy, the cast of characters is fantastic and each one is well-drawn and believable in their motivations and attitudes. The action is fast-paced and exciting, even as Ralston succeeds in giving us numerous breathers as he unveils the history that set the stage for the events we’re bearing witness to.

Joe Hempel’s narration is–as always–spectacular. There seem to be few narrators as prolific or in such high demand, and for good reason.

https://www.audible.com/pd/Infinite-Audiobook/B0B2FHQGFM?action_code=ASSGB149080119000H&share_location=pdp

All Hallows by Christopher Golden, Narrated by Ron Butler & January LaVoy

/ MeltdownMessiah / Leave a comment

Christopher Golden’s All Hallows transports us back to the simpler times of the mid-1980s, a time without cellphones and internet. I’m not a Luddite, by any stretch of the imagination, but something about the world back then triggers a healthy dose of nostalgia for me. It works especially well regarding horror because there’s no need to factor in the ever-connected nature of the modern world and its limitations on what makes sense. The bulk of Golden’s novel transpires on Halloween night, isolated to one suburban neighborhood. The setting definitely helps to make the story feel more intimate.

As the children of Coventry venture out to collect their toll of candy and treats, strange new children are making their way into the crowd, behaving strangely and unsettling some of the locals while going largely unnoticed by others. It’s not until they begin communicating with some of the neighborhood kids that we discover just how disturbing the situation is. Children and parents alike are forced to wonder what’s really going on in their otherwise tranquil neighborhood. Who are these peculiar kids? What do they want? And who is The Cunning Man?

All the while, family drama and infidelity threaten to upset the peace, creating distractions and turmoil that turn attention away from the genuine threat in their midst. Friendships are strained to their limits, families are falling apart, and a monstrous unearthly horror sweeps through the darkened streets and homes of unsuspecting victims.

Golden’s tale is a heartbreaking one. When all is said and done, no one will be the same, and the survivors might not be the lucky ones as they’re forced to face the dual traumas of loss and guilt no one is prepared for.

Narrations by Ron Butler and January LaVoy bring the story to life in a wholly authentic way that draws you into the tale as effectively as Golden’s masterful writing already would.

https://www.audible.com/pd/All-Hallows-Audiobook/B0BRYMMS4M?action_code=ASSGB149080119000H&share_location=pdp

Head Like a Hole by Andrew Van Wey, Narrated by Tom Jordan

/ MeltdownMessiah / Leave a comment

Body horror, science fiction, psychological horror, and supernatural horror all blur together in a tale of revenge, regret, and transformation in the deeply haunting Head Like a Hole by Andrew Van Wey. It’s challenging to say much about this book without spoiling it, but I’ll do my best.

Something terrible washes ashore, a monstrous, inhuman thing with a hunger for revenge…and so much hunger altogether…bent on righting a wrong from years before. If they want any hope of surviving, a group of estranged friends must come together and solve a mystery that defies imagination…if they can survive that long. They’re hunted by a ghost from the past that is so much more than anyone could have bargained for.

Questions on the nature of identity, autonomy, and what defines a human being are deftly handled with Van Wey’s expert storytelling…and the slow reveal of a body horror nightmare unfolds in such a way that the reader is fully immersed and terrified that they’ve predicted the ending before it arrives, hoping that they’re wrong.

Tom Jordan’s narration of the story brings everything to life, a vivid unwholesome life.

Inside the Devil’s Nest by John Durgin, Narrated by Joe Hempel

/ MeltdownMessiah / Leave a comment

Anthony Graham is a successful real estate agent. That success is due–in no small part–to a deal he made with the devil, in the form of an agreement made with a mob boss who wants to use vacant properties for a variety of purposes, no questions asked. When Anthony stumbles upon one of his properties being used in an entirely predictable way–though one he never expected–it all comes crashing down around him in a barrage of sudden violence. On the run with his family, knowing he’s only postponing the inevitable, Anthony heads for a former campground he’s been unable to sell–hoping it’ll buy him some time to figure out what to do next. Unfortunately, for Anthony and his family, this campground holds dark secrets far worse–and more dangerous–than the men hunting them down.

John Durgin paints us a portrait of a family struggling to hold it together despite years of acrimony, strain, and secrets…and then he thrusts that family into a situation sure to unravel the worn threads that hold them together. Before they arrive at the campground the family is already falling apart, and it only gets worse from there. Good intentions spectacularly pave the way to Hell as two broken families with secrets buried deep come together, and Anthony learns first-hand why he’s never been able to sell the property.

We’re forced to witness as six people find themselves caught between two evils that mean nothing but harm, and we’re left wondering which of those two evils will exact their toll first as we descend toward a conclusion that can be nothing but violent and cruel. We may want to look away, but there’s some part of us that keeps us watching as everything approaches perhaps the only ending there could be.

Joe Hempel’s narration of the tale brings it to terrifying life and gives each character their own place in the listener’s imagination while we join them on their journey to the depths.

https://www.audible.com/pd/Inside-the-Devils-Nest-Audiobook/B0C4BK3D1T?action_code=ASSGB149080119000H&share_location=pdp

Devil’s Creek by Todd Keisling, Narrated by Danny Campbell

/ MeltdownMessiah / Leave a comment

After reading Scanlines by Todd Keisling, the bar was set quite high. Devil’s Creek absolutely did not disappoint.

Old-time religion never seems quite as horrific and awful as it does in stories of small, backwoods towns, and Keisling captures that magnificently with this story. Decades ago, a twisted minister, Jacob Masters, preached an unholy gospel of sacrifice and cruelty, turning members of families against one another as he sewed his seeds within the flock. Six children he fathered were rescued by their disillusioned grandparents, who were far too late to save their own children…just before the church went up in flames and its congregation went to a mass grave.

In the present day, we revisit the town of Stauford, Kentucky as Jack reluctantly returns home to handle the estate of the grandmother who saved him from the cult Masters had built. But old wounds aren’t as healed as they might have seemed, and something troubling seems to be stirring at Devil’s Creek.

What Jack finds instead of closure, are secrets that threaten to shatter not only his sanity but the world around him. As Jack’s nightmares become a reality, he and his half-siblings are forced to take sides and take a stand against a nameless horror that waits beneath the unhallowed ground where the old church once stood.

The story Keisling weaves is a compelling one, and he further displays his knack for crafting something that gets under the skin and sticks with the reader long after the end.

Danny Campbell provided excellent narration for the audiobook edition of the novel and made it easy to follow the cast of characters as they descend into the pits of a nightmarish hell on earth.

Bishop by Candace Nola, Narrated by Jamison Walker

/ MeltdownMessiah / Leave a comment

Candace Nola’s Bishop takes us to the wilderness of Alaska, on and off the beaten path in Tongass National Forest, where Troy Spencer is about to begin a desperate search for his sister and niece. Erin and Casey have been missing for a couple of days, and they’ve been alone in the wilds for nearly a week by the time Troy arrives in Ketchikan to begin the search. Venturing deep into the mountainous wilderness, racing against the clock, he’ll settle for nothing less than the best guide he can find. Unfortunately, the most knowledgable guide for those parts of Alaska is a gruff, solitary indigenous man who goes by the name of Bishop, and Bishop is a man of few words and many secrets.
Troy knows he’s running out of time, but he has no idea how much danger his family is in, as an ancient and terrible presence exists in the forest, stalking and terrorizing Erin and Casey. Bishop knows it’s there, but Troy’s proximity limits his ability to do anything about it, and nothing will stop the evil from taking what it wants unless Bishop can free the beast inside of himself.
Candace Nola brings the cold Alaskan wilderness to life, immersing us in the damp, chilly environment from which there might be no escape. Bringing her fascination with survivalism and the tools necessary for survival to bear, Nola brings Casey, Troy, and Bishop to life in vivid detail and three-dimensional depth, forcing us to experience the same tense, disquieting struggle as her characters.
Jamison Walker does a decent job of providing the characters with voices of their own, distinctly separating them.

Deadman’s Road by Joe R. Lansdale, Narrated by Stefan Rudnicki

/ MeltdownMessiah / Leave a comment

Before Deadman’s Road, I’d only been acquainted with Reverend Jebidiah Mercer via one of the short stories contained within this volume, but the character stuck out as one with a great deal of potential for additional adventures. I’m pleased to discover that I was not wrong.
Joe R. Lansdale populates his fictional version of the American Wild West with monsters, both human and inhuman, familiar and strange. All of this is filtered through the sardonic and rueful Reverend Mercer as he struggles to fulfill God’s will, a capricious and cruel thing.
As he faces off against zombies, werewolves, goblins, and other monstrous entities, Mercer is joined by assorted men and women who frequently don’t survive the encounters with the same sort of adroitness the Reverend displays. Short-lived as his companions may be, they provide ample fodder for Mercer’s wit and derision in some of the most entertaining dialogue Lansdale’s written outside of the Hap and Leonard novels.
The narration of the audiobook provided by Stefan Rudnicki perfectly suited the gruff and acerbic Reverend, as well as the other characters filling these tales. This was only my second encounter with Rudnicki as a narrator, and he was no less impressive this time around.

The Influence by Bentley Little, Narrated by Joe Barrett

/ MeltdownMessiah / Leave a comment

Things haven’t been going well for Ross Lowry. He’s lost his engineering job and struggled to find a new source of income. His troubles are essentially ignored by members of his family, many of whom had no difficulty accepting his assistance when he was in the position to offer it.
All of that begins to change when his cousin, Lita, and her husband, Dave, invite Ross to spend some time at their ranch in the isolated, small town of Magdelena, AZ. There’s something about the peace of being there that makes him feel like he can take them up on their offer of staying for an extended period. It seems like an excellent opportunity. Ross figures that he can sublet his place in California while assisting Dave and Lita around the ranch and continuing his online job search.
Everything seems fine at first. But during the New Years’ celebration at Cameron Holtz’s ranch, when the celebrants fire their guns into the sky, something other than spent ammunition comes falling down.
From that point on, everything begins to change.
Animals begin dying. Those that don’t die, begin undergoing strange and unsettling transformations, both physical and behavioral. It isn’t just the animals, though, as the residents of Magdelena change as well. The status quo shifts in unpredictable manners as fortunes and positions within the community go topsy turvy.
Will Ross and his small group of friends and family be able to figure out what’s going on before it’s too late for them to avoid a fate similar to seemingly everyone else? What is the monstrous thing being worshipped on Cameron Holtz’s ranch, and is it something worthy of adoration?
While this isn’t the best of Bentley Little’s work, it is as deeply unsettling and imaginative as anything else he’s written. Elements of body horror and psychological horror meld perfectly with supernatural and spiritual elements to create a narrative that demands the reader/listener not turn away.
Joe Barrett’s narration captures the confusion and desperation Ross and the others experience as the story grows progressively more disturbing and unreal. The characters are distinctly voiced and three-dimensional.

1855 by Jacob Steven Mohr

/ MeltdownMessiah / 2 Comments

This is the third of the releases in D&T Publishing’s emerging authors series in partnership with Godless. There hasn’t been a lackluster piece of writing in the bunch. 1855 is no exception.
Victorian-era photography is rife with eerie elements that were commonly in practice. Jacob Steven Mohr, in a flash of brilliance, decided to place “hidden mother photography” at the core of his story, 1855. When the quiet, strange Italian boy winds up in the orphanage, the language barrier makes it all but impossible to determine what’s happened to his family and how he found himself in the care of the sisters and director Timothy Ford.
The arrival of a priest who can translate the child’s story leads the characters down a path punctuated with sinister disappearances and evidence that a mother’s love and protection of her child never fades.
It’s the story of a father whose grief wouldn’t allow him to bear the sight of his deceased wife, and the consequences that follow. While this is a horror story, it’s also a heartbreaking glimpse of a child lost in the world and unable to recall his own mother’s face. This is a period tale of tragedy and sadness as much as anything else, and it’s brought to life with expert quality with Mohr’s writing.

You can pick up 1855 and the previous Emerge series of stories by going to http://www.godless.com or by downloading the Godless app to your mobile device. The link is below:

1855 by Jacob Steven Mohr (Emerge #3)

Dead Silence by S. A. Barnes, Narrated by Lauren Ezzo

/ MeltdownMessiah / Leave a comment
Dead Silence proves to be a perfect combination of psychological, supernatural, and science-fiction horror. In cinematic terms, this novel could be best described as equal parts Event Horizon and Ghost Ship, with just a touch of Session 9 thrown in for flavor. Barnes leaves the reader guessing at what’s going on until the final quarter of the story, and when the revelation comes, it’s both shocking and cynically easy to swallow.
Claire Kovalik has experienced things no human being should endure, but she’s managed to come out the other side relatively sane and healthy, albeit damaged and permanently psychologically scarred. When she and her crew discover a decades-lost space-liner floating near the edge of the solar system, the obsolescence of her career is the least of her concerns as the potential salvage value is quickly offset by the horrors they discover aboard.
What is real?
What happened to the crew and passengers of this luxury space vessel?
Will the same thing happen to Kovalik and her crew?
If she can manage to get help out to the distant location of the ship, will there be anyone left to save?
Barnes spins a captivating, high-stakes narrative that’s as intimate and claustrophobic as it is a tale of far-reaching consequences and an examination of the nature of reality and the afterlife.
Lauren Ezzo’s narration is spectacular in the expert way she captures the nervous tension, high-strung nature, and abject terror Kovalik experiences throughout the story. The emotional states of the protagonist are writ large in the quality of the narration Ezzo provides, forcing the listener to engage to an extent few audiobooks do.