The After-Death of Caroline Rand by Catherine Cavendish

Hello, readers! Today I'm a stop on the Random Things blog tour for Catherine Cavendish's latest, The After-Death of Caroline Rand. 

It's been years since Alli last saw Nancy. But when Nancy friends her on Facebook and then invites Alli to her new house for a weekend getaway, it all happens at just the right moment. 

The house in question once belonged to Caroline Rand, a singer from the late sixties. And as tribute, the house party is sixties themed. It's just Alli, Nancy, and two others. But the small get together quickly turns odd when Alli finds herself not at Nancy's house, present day, but at Mama Cass's California home during a party featuring a number of musicians who have long since passed away. 

Soon, Alli finds herself back at Nancy's. But the slips in time continue. And Alli finds herself woven into Caroline's own past. But to what end?

This was a fun one! It's a little horror lite in the beginning, but the why is a big pull.

Why is this happening to Alli? Why is she essentially traveling through time? And why is it linked to Caroline's past?

These questions become more pressing considering it's not the house's past that Alli is tied to—she arrives at a house in rural England, only to find herself in the famed Laurel Canyon! Different time, different house, different country!

Thankfully, all of this expectation builds to a very satisfactory end!

The After-Death of Caroline Rand is out now from Flametree!

Ancient Images by Ramsey Campbell

Happy Friday! Today I'm super excited to be part of the Random Things Tours for Ramsey Campbell's rereleased Ancient Images. 

How could any avid film collector resist the promise of a missing film starring Boris Karloff and Bela Legosi? A film no one has ever admitted to seeing, no less! Sandy's friend and coworker has spent years tracking down just this film and he's finally found it. But before they can watch the film, Sandy witnesses her friend tumbling from the roof of a building. And the film in question is turns up missing. 

With her friend's legacy in mind, Sandy becomes determined to find out what happened to the missing film. But the amount of secrecy and threat that surrounds not only the film itself but the story it's based on is more than she ever expected!

So not only is Ramsey Campbell one of the horror greats, but this book in particular has been on my radar for a while. And I was disappointed to find that it was out of print. Originally published in 1989, the book has thankfully been brought back to print by the fabulous folks over at Flame Tree Press!

I first heard about this book via an interview with Gemma Files about her own book Experimental Film where she cites Ancient Images as one of the inspirations behind her novel. And while there are no shortage of books about cursed films, I would say that when you have one of the best mentioning another one as one of the best, you know you need to track it down :)

So yes, I was thrilled to see this was coming back in print and I think it's the perfect time! Found Footage horror has been on trend for a while, and I absolutely love it! 

Here we have a film historian who's been tracking down a film for two years before finally securing a copy. Two years! And the book begins with his revealing to Sandy that he's not only found it, but that he's inviting her to an exclusive screening. 

Campbell does a fantastic job of setting the scene so that the reader feels like they're right alongside Sandy. And the anticipation of what the film would turn out to be is hugely tense! Especially when it goes missing before our narrator can see it. 

But of course she doesn't suspect what we the reader already suspects, that the film itself is somehow behind her friend's death. 

Sure, the police believe it was a break in. That the man died trying to save his sought after film from a thief. And that's what Sandy suspects as well. But seeing as this is a horror novel, I would say the reader already has more complex suspicions at this stage!

And honestly, that's just the first few chapters. There are flashbacks to a side story woven throughout, the meaning of which becomes more clear as the story progresses. But for me, those opening chapters set the tone for a perfectly enthralling story that is every bit as fantastic as I'd hoped it would be!

Ancient Images is officially out on February 21. Be sure to preorder a copy from Bookshop.org so you have it in your TBR ASAP!

Dragonfly Summer by J.H. Moncrieff

Hello, everyone! We are now in the thick of holiday season. Here's to keeping your sanity!

Today I'm excited to be part of the Random Things tour for J.H. Moncrieff's latest, Dragonfly Summer!

It's been almost thirty years since Jo left the tiny town of Clear Springs. In that time, not only has she never looked back, but apparently she's forgotten most of it. 

Including the disappearance of one of her best friends. 

But someone wants her to remember. She receives an anonymous note with information about a vigil to be held all these years later. And on the note is a message to find Sam. 

Sam's case was never solved. Most assume she died. And while someone wants Jo to find the truth, many want this part of the past to remain buried. 

I thoroughly enjoyed this latest from Moncrieff! A decades-old mystery and the drama of teenage friendships...it had an air of Yellowjackets around it that I am 100% on board for!

Jo has been living in New York City ever since graduating high school. And though her plans to become a writer have fizzled, her interest in investigations can't be denied. Most disturbing though is the fact that when the article about Sam's vigil arrives, Jo has no memory of her at all. 

As the dawning realization hits that this is someone she knew and that this was undeniably a huge event in her life, the prompt to look into it is one that pulls her back to Clear Springs. That and the discovery that the other friend in their old trio has died as well. 

Jo is the only one left who seems to want to find out the truth about Sam. But she can't even trust her own memories, which is something I find absolutely fascinating!

I know for most, comfort reading right now means holiday rom coms. For me, though, Dragonfly Summer is exactly the kind of comfort read I'm looking for! A good mystery, a twisty plot, and a book that I can get cozy and curl up with that begs to be read in a single sitting! 

Dragonfly Summer is out from Flame Tree now! Order a copy today from Bookshop.org!

Fellstones by Ramsey Campbell

Happy Friday, everyone! Today I'm a stop on the Random Things tour for Ramsey Campbell's Fellstones, out now from Flame Tree Press! 

Paul Dunstan always felt responsible for his parents' deaths. After all, if they'd never met the Staveleys, he wouldn't have been under their tutelage, and the drive that caused the accident that killed his folks would never have happened. 

The Staveleys took Paul (then called Michael) in and adopted him, making him part of their family. But by the time Paul left for college, he'd already started to distance himself from them. 

Now, he's changed his name and hasn't seen any of them in year. Until their daughter, Adele, shows up at his work. She says her parents are aging and miss him. She begs him to visit. 

Which is why Paul finds himself once again in Fellstones. And once again remembering why he distanced himself from the Staveleys in the first place. 

But the truth is so much more horrifying than even Paul knows or remembers...

What a way to start off spooky season! (I mean, that's year round for me, but still!)

Ramsey Campbell has long been hailed as one of the best in the horror business. He's well respected and talked of in every corner of the genre and by every big name (which reminds me, Flame Tree is bringing his Ancient Images back into print and this is one Gemma Files mentions in the fancy edition of Experimental Film).

Anyway! 

Fellstones is that perfect blend of weird tiny towns, odd lore, and ancient relics (in this case, standing stones). In other words, folk horror! With a side of cosmic horror thrown in for extra flavor! And it's uber weird right from the start. But you know it's going to be considering our main character has basically been hiding from this family for years and has never told his current partner anything about them!

But then why does he return? Easy, he doesn't actually remember most of it!

I love Campbell's work and found this to be as much fun as I hoped plus more! If you're in need of an odd read this spooky season (or anytime!) definitely check out Fellstones. (And remember to add Ancient Images to your must have list as well!)

We Will Rise by Tim Waggoner

Happy Friday! Today I'm a stop on the Random Things tour for Tim Waggoner's latest, We Will Rise. 

Something is happening in the town of Echo Springs. The dead are coming back...

Randy Herrera was the first. Eddie has mourned the loss of his little brother for decades after he drowned in a terrible accident. And it's taken that long for Eddie to get over his fear of water. None of that matters when Randy comes back, though. Because he's taking Eddie with him this time!

All over town, people are faced with dead friends and relatives. No one knows why they're back but it's clear they're determined to increase their ranks, taking as many of Echo Springs' living as they can!

Tim Waggoner is something of a legend in the horror world. With umpteen short stories under his belt and almost as many books, he is definitely someone every horror fan should be reading! (Plus, he's a pretty nice dude!)

We Will Rise is a fun and creepy ghost story. Definitely different from anything else I've read in quite a while. 

A town plagued by its dead—and they're not zombies! That alone makes this a stand out :)

If you're looking for a great chiller to read this summer, you should absolutely add We Will Rise to your TBR pile!

Music of the Night ed by Martin Edwards

Good morning, everyone! Today I'm a stop on the Random Things Tour for the new Crime Writers' Association anthology, Music of the Night. 

I love a great anthology! Especially one with plenty of new-to-me authors and favorites alike. This particular anthology had three specifications: of course it's all crime fiction, the theme is music, and the contributors are members of the Crime Writers' Association. 

From camp songs to classical and crimes of passion to vengeance, Music of the Night spans a broad range of styles both in writing and music. And though the stories are arranged in alphabetical order (by author's first name), Edwards has put together a collection that reads like a great mix tape of mysteries! 

Each of the stories is original to the anthology. I should point out, too, that I really appreciated Edwards's note that a number of the authors who contributed to this collection have not yet been featured in a CWA collection!

Here's the full Table of Contents:

Be Prepared by Abi Silver

A Sharp Thorn by Alison Joseph

Wrong Notes by Andrew Taylor

The Melody of Murder by Antony M. Brown

Love Me or Leave Me: A Fugue in G Minor by Art Taylor

The Scent of an Ending by Brian Price

Mix Tape by Cath Staincliffe

The Last Green Bottle by Catherine Aird

Taxi! by Chris Simms

Some Other Dracula by Christine Poulson

Violin - CE by David Stuart Davies

The Sound and the Fury by Dea Parkin

A Vulture Sang in Berkeley Square by Jason Monaghan

Not a Note by Kate Ellis

His Greatest Hit by L.C. Tyler

Requiem by Leo McNair

The Crazy Cries of Love by Martin Edwards

Waiting for Cornelia by Maxim Jakubowski

The Watch Room by Neil Daws

The Ghosts of Peace by Paul Charles

No More 'I Love You's' by Paul Gitsham

And the Band Played On by Peter Lovesey

4 x 3.3 by Ragnar Jónasson

A Death in Four Parts by Shawn Reilly Simmons

Bombay Blues by Vaseem Khan

Fans of crime fiction and short stories, this is an excellent one to add to your TBR! Each story is an absolute treat—and I'll be adding some new names to my must read list now as well :)

Mestiza Blood by V. Castro

Good morning, everyone! Today I’m a stop on the Random Things Tour for V. Castro’s new collection, Mestiza Blood: A Short Story Collection of Nightmares, Dreams, Desires & a Vision of the Chicana Experience.

V. Castro has quickly become one of my must-read authors. Her work is truly fantastic! And it’s everything great horror should be: social commentary, feminism, sexuality, folklore, and, as the subtitle says, “a vision of the Chicana experience.” And it’s all creepy as hell!

That Chicana experience is very specific—it's the experience of being a woman who lives in the United States but comes from Mexican roots— and it runs through all of Castro’s work. Her tales are steeped in classic legend and lore, even when the basis for the story may not be exactly a traditional legend (this was the case Queen of the Cicadas, which had me googling the legend to see if it was indeed real. It wasn’t, but it also wasn’t far off from so many known stories of its kind.) That experience means that her work often also tackles the generational differences in experience and expectation between immigrants and their children. 

I have also found that motherhood is particularly prevalent in a number of her stories, and Mestiza Blood is no exception. In one, Satan herself is the main character. In another, a woman whose parents have recently been picked up by ICE is doing everything she can to avoid authorities while also taking care of her baby, and she's offered what appears to be an impossible choice. In still another, a woman finds out her child has been cursed. 

Another big theme, which makes sense as a woman, and as a Chicana, is revenge. Women getting revenge on those who have done them wrong. 

While my own experiences in life may be different than Castro's, no woman goes through life unaware of the dangers that seem to lurk around every corner for us. So I have to say, there is definitely a sense of satisfaction in seeing some of the characters get their just desserts in these stories!

If horror has a job to do, aside from scaring and entertaining, I think, like all fiction, it should offer different perspectives. I like fun, but I also like a little meat to chew on. Substance that takes me out of my own experience and puts me into someone else’s. And of course, since it’s horror, I want it to come through with the scares. But not just jump scares! Actual, chill you to the bone scares!

Mestiza Blood is the kind of collection you'll be tempted to zip through, considering that once you've been ripped through one story, you're propelled directly into the next. But I'd argue this is the kind of collection worth savoring. There's a lot going on under the surface of each story. Castro has a lot to tell the world. And it's only in really examining and pondering over each story that I think some readers will have those dawning experiences, touching the true heart of each story if they really try!

Castro is a blazing new voice in the genre whose work offers all of that and so much more! I really can't sing her praises highly enough. I think that she's one of the authors of the genre who is pushing boundaries with each new work. And I think she's a really powerful storyteller!

Mestiza Blood is out now from Flame Tree. Be sure to buy a copy wherever books are sold, but preferably from your favorite indie!

Beyond the Veil edited by Mark Morris

It's November 1 and I'm a stop on the Random Things tour for Mark Morris's latest horror anthology, Beyond the Veil!

This is the second collection that Morris has put together for Flame Tree, following last year's After Sundown. 

And it's actually the fourth unthemed horror anthology that he's edited: New Fears: New Horror Stories by Masters of the Genre released in 2017 from Titan, followed in 2018 by New Fears 2: More New Stories by Masters of the Macabre. 

Morris has a real eye for truly terrifying tales and he really may have outdone himself with Beyond the Veil. 

The very first story, "The God Bag" from Christopher Golden sets the tone for a seriously unsettling series of stories. 

The full story list is as follows:

The God Bag by Christopher Golden

Caker's Man by Matthew Holness

The Beechfield Miracles by Priya Sharma

Clockwork by Dan Coxon

Soapstone by Aliya Whiteley

The Dark Bit by Toby Litt

Provenance Pond by Josh Malerman

For All the Dead by Angeline B. Adams and Remco van Straten

The Girl in the Pool by Bracken MacLeod

Nurse Varden by Jeremy Dyson

If, Then by Lisa L. Hannett

Aquarium Ward by Karter Mycroft

A Mystery for Julie Chu by Stephen Gallagher

Away Day by Lisa Tuttle

Polaroid and Seaweed by Peter Harness

Der Geisterbahnhof by Lynda E. Rucker

Arnie's Ashes by John Everson

A Brief Tour of the Night by Nathan Ballingrud

The Care and Feeded of Household Gods by Frank J. Oreto

Yellowback by Gemma Files

I've said it before and I'll continue to scream it from the rooftops, but I really do love short stories and especially anthologies like this one! When I'm tight for time, a short piece that I can read in between toddler responsibilities and other daily tasks is perfect. And this collection features pieces from favorites like Christopher Golden, Priya Sharma, Josh Malerman, and Stephen Gallagher (to name a few), who I know are going to deliver on a great tale! 

Anthologies are also a great way to discover new to you authors, too. Matthew Holness's "Caker's Man" would not leave my head after I read it! Dan Coxon and Lynda E. Rucker are also a few of the names that were completely new to me—and definitely on my to read list from here on out!

Truly, each piece in here is a gem that is guaranteed to give you nightmares! Just what I'm looking for when I dive into a collection. And again, Morris seems to have a sincere talent for bringing together a great collection!

Beyond the Veil is out now from Flame Tree Press! Order a copy from your favorite indie via Bookshop!

The Restoration by J.H. Moncrieff

It's Thursday! And today I'm a stop on the Random Things tour for J.H. Moncrieff's latest, The Restoration. 

As a single mom who works in historic home restoration, jobs are key to her survival. And so Terri is thrilled to be hired to restore Glenvale House. The owner, a hundred-year-old woman who doesn't look a day over eighty, wants the house fully restored and has given Terri a year to complete the project. What's more, Terri and her daughter, Dallas, can live on site throughout the restoration. 

Unfortunately for Terri, things begin to go wrong almost from the start. She's warned about the house and it's previous employees' proclivities. Basically, the owner tells her from the start that she holds not stock with the rumors of the house's hauntings and she won't put up with any whiff of trouble from Terri. (And by trouble she means mention of ghosts.) But she's not exactly honest about the circumstances by which the previous employees and other restorers left under. 

And Glenvale House is indeed haunted! In fact, the spirit that calls the place home targets Terri's daughter from the beginning. 

At first, Terri believes they could be dealing with a trespasser. Unfortunately for her, she's very wrong. And what first seems to be a lonely ghost looking for friendship turns into something much more dangerous!

It's funny when real life experiences start to align with your reading. And no, I'm not restoring a haunted house! But I have been pretty obsessed lately with Cheap Old Houses (the Instagram feed and the show), so I've been introduced a little more into the world that Terri inhabits more than I would have, say, a year ago!

And Terri's job is a fascinating one! But more than that, the focus in Moncrieff's latest is the struggle of a single mom trying her best to support herself and her daughter. 

Life hasn't been easy since her divorce and her ex offers no help at all. He's off living his own life and even has their daughter with him the majority of the time. The summer at Glenvale House is meant to be Terri's time to reconnect with her daughter. 

What it's not meant to be is putting her young daughter in direct danger! 

But Terri is feisty and stubborn. She's determined to take care of her daughter first, no matter what.

I truly felt for Terri and Dallas. And I feared for them as well! But the ultimate twist is that even the reader  isn't fully aware of just where the true danger of Glenvale House lies. 

The Restoration is an absolutely chilling story about dark secrets within families and the lengths some will go to in an attempt to ensure no one ever discovers the truth! And since ghost stories just happen to be my favorite flavor of horror, it's also super twisted fun!

The Restoration is out now from Flame Tree. Order a copy now from your favorite indie via Bookshop!

I'm off to tackled Moncrieff's backlist while there's still a little spooky season left :)

The Queen of the Cicadas by V. Castro

Readers, I am so excited to be part of the Random Things tour for V. Castro's latest, The Queen of the Cicadas (La Reina de las Chicharras). 

Belinda has returned to Texas to attend her friend's wedding. And thought she'd helped choose the site for the ceremony, she didn't realize it was a place linked to a legend that has haunted her since childhood. 

Decades ago, a migrant farmworker was brutally murdered in Alice, Texas. Milagros, like many, sought freedom from her small town life and fled across the border in search of new opportunities. Her aim was to send money back home until her entire family could join her in the States. Even the hard work and horrible conditions would have been bearable were it not for the unwanted advances of the landowner's nephew. And the horrific treatment she experienced at the hand of his wife. 

And so Milagros planned to leave for California, where it was rumored that another worker was set on unionizing the farm hands. Surely it would be a future better than the one that she faced in Alice. 

 

But Milagros never left the farm. And the locals weren't interested in bringing her killer to justice. So Mictecacíhuatl, the Aztec goddess of death, intervened on her behalf. And so many years later, Belinda is determined to see that Milagros's fate is never forgotten. 

I have to say, this has been one of my most highly anticipated reads of the month. I was actually attending a virtual panel at StokerCon, listening to Violet Castro speak about her latest, when I got the email about the tour. And let me tell you, the happy dance that I did on my end was epic!

Thankfully, the book lived up to my extremely high expectations!

The book begins with Belinda at the wedding. It's being held in a tiny town in Texas at a grand old house. And, as it turns out, it's a house with a dark past. 

Dilapidated and falling down when Hector, the current owner, bought it, it's been restored to it's former glory. But the story that brought it's ruin has never been forgotten. 

And it's a story that Belinda is familiar with. One she'd heard as a child at a sleepover decades ago. 

But now, at a bit of a crossroads in her own life, and finding herself at the scene of the crime, so to speak, Belinda decides that she's going to dig into the story more. 

The book fluidly transitions between Belinda's narrative and the past, and so it's the readers who witness Milagros's story first hand even as Belinda is recounting it to the wedding party or researching it present day. 

Milagro's tale is heartbreaking. And the vengeance that takes place in her name is chilling, indeed! Not just because most of it involves bugs. Castro does not skimp on the detail, making this read both atmospheric and creepy as all get out!

Drawing inspiration from urban legends and myth, The Queen of the Cicadas is more than a little reminiscent of Candyman, so it really wasn't surprising to read that it was one of the influences for the story. But beyond that, this is a tale that is rich with Castro's own San Antonio upbringing and filled with Aztec and Latinx influences!

What was surprising, and super cool, was finding out that La Reina de las Chicharras is wholly made up by Castro herself. Because of course, as I was reading, I admit that I had started searching the internet for the story only to find nothing except reviews of the book. And as a horror fan, I love when an author can so convince me that their creation is REAL in every sense. 

I fear my review really doesn't do this book full justice, but I have to say that I feel like this is the the kind of horror that's been missing from my reading, especially of late. I predict that this is going to be V. Castro's year! And that The Queen of the Cicadas will be the first of many must reads for horror fans. (Note, this is her novel debut, but her novella, Goddess of Filth, released this earlier year. She's also published many short stories and has a forthcoming collection due out from Flame Tree as well.) 

Now you'll have to excuse me, I've got to run out and get some of her backlist while I wait for more from Castro to come!

The Queen of the Cicadas is available now in the US and UK from Flame Tree Press!