The Pretty Ones by Ania Ahlborn

I'm going to go ahead and declare today Ania Ahlborn day on the blog! And I'm kicking things off with a novella review first (followed by a review of Brother).

It's 1977 and the Son of Sam is stalking the city. Nell Sullivan isn't worried, though. She has more immediate problems. 

Nell is quiet and keeps to herself, mostly out of a need for survival. The office girls aren't welcoming. In fact, Nell finds herself being bullied by the worst one of them all. But at least she has her brother. And a new friend. And as the city braces itself for more killings, Nell begins to break out of her shell. 

This was a fun little story! I mean, it's set during the Son of Sam killings so you've got a built in tense atmosphere. Then you've got poor, downtrodden Nell.

Nell lives alone in the city with her brother. Her brother is the charismatic one, the one people like. But her brother doesn't work, so it's up to Nell to pay the rent. Which is why she's stayed at Rambert & Bertram in spite of the fact that her co workers are making her miserable.

It's not just that they go out for after work drinks and don't invite her along. It's that the so-called pretty girls are outright catty and mean to Nell. Her brother Barrett says it doesn't matter, Nell has him and that's all she needs. But Nell longs for a connection beyond Barrett! Nell wants a friend.

So when one of her co workers offers a sliver of hope in that regard, Nell pounces.

Of course this is an Ania Ahlborn tale so you know things aren't going to end well. The surprise is in the turn the story takes, though, making The Pretty Ones a great little addition to Ahlborn's list of works.

If you haven't yet read Ahlborn, this is a good one to start with. You'll get a nice taste of her style, but you should know that this is in some ways a bit of a tame story for Ahlborn, at least compared to, oh I don't know, Brother.

Rating: 4/5

Short Fiction Friday: Nightlife: Hazardous Material by Matthew Quinn Martin

Jarrod Foster makes ends meet doing cleanup jobs in and around New York City. Working hand in hand with hazardous materials like asbestos and other things most won't deign to go near, he and his boss handle the tough stuff readying places for renovation or tear down. Their latest job is an old Brooklyn roller rink with a dark and sinister past. Of course Jarrod and his boss aren't aware of the crime that happened there, not until they find the sealed arcade room.

Jarrod wasn't around then, but his boss remembers the massacre that took place all those years ago. The arcade killings shocked the nation, giving rise to more anti video game propaganda. The crime has been all but forgotten over thirty years on, but everyone's about to get a big reminder. 

Nightlife: Hazardous Material is a prequel in Matthew Quinn Martin's series featuring The Division. Readers were introduced to them in 2013 with the release of Nightlife, which takes place somewhat concurrent to the events of "Hazardous Material" (there's a brief mention). I, however, have not yet read Nightlife. Admittedly, some readers might find this e short confusing as an intro to the world. I found it intriguing instead. It's a taste, just a sip of the premise bound in a nice and neat tale about a character who's down on his luck and becomes wrapped up in something truly terrifying.

I imagine if you've read Nightlife, "Hazardous Material" will be a nice little chance to tide yourself over until the release of the sequel in June. It's my understanding that Nightlife has a bit of a cliffhanger ending and that folks have been waiting for As the Worm Turns to find out what happens. (I'll be diving into them both shortly.) If you're new to the stories "Hazardous Material" is out now for just .99 and June will see all three installments released as one in Nightlife: Night Terrors.

Rating: 3/5

Short Fiction Friday: The Three Sisters by Lisa Unger

Eloise's granddaughter, Finley, - her only relative who shares her ability - has moved in while attending college. But while it's nice to have another person who understands what Eloise experiences, she can't help but worry about how it all affects Finley. When an ominous woman in black begins to appear, Finley is somewhat unsettled. 

Eloise soon discovers that the woman may have some connection to her own family's ancestors, three Hollows sisters who were burned at the stake in the 1600s. Three sisters Finley seems to know an awful lot about in spite of not having grown up in The Hollows. But before Eloise can investigate the woman in black or Finley's connection to the three sisters, Jones Cooper has another case for her attention: a drowning victim whose father is convinced the killer has walked free. And Eloise understands all too well the desire to avenge a loved one taken too soon. 

This might be my favorite of the three Whispers stories. Getting to know more about where Eloise and Finley's power comes from and how their own history ties into The Hollows history was really great. Plus, the fact that Jones Cooper (from Fragile and Darkness, My Old Friend) makes an appearance made it that much more fun for me.

I know that these three Hollows shorts tie in with Unger's upcoming Crazy Love You but I honestly am not sure exactly how. I have to admit that the wondering is making me even more anxious to finally read it when it hits shelves on February 10. Until then, all three Whispers stories are available through etailers. And of course you can always revisit (or discover) The Hollows through the Jones Cooper stories and In the Blood.

Rating: 4/5

Short Fiction Friday: The Burning Girl by Lisa Unger

Lisa Unger takes readers back to The Hollows with her latest, a trilogy of short e reads featuring Eloise Montgomery. You can read my post on the first installment, "The Whispers," here.

"The Burning Girl" picks up ten years after "The Whispers." Eloise has become somewhat used to her gift and has made increasing use of it since the death of her husband. Not everyone is so pleased, though. Eloise's daughter has distanced herself over the past decade and some of the citizens of The Hollows are understandably wary - and even critical - of Eloise's ability. 

When the angry spirit of a girl accompanied by smoke and fire begins to appear to Eloise, she is curious and wants to help. But Eloise is warned off of involving herself with such a spirit. Meanwhile, retired cop turned PI Ray Muldune has taken on a complicated missing persons case and has asked for Eloise's assistance. 

I enjoyed this one even more than the first! The burning girl herself is incredibly intriguing and the progression of Eloise's character is really wonderful. Both tales are quite short - easy to slip in when you've got limited reading time - and I'm really dying to read the third now as well. ("The Three Sisters" is out Jan 5.) And of course this little trilogy is leading up to Unger's upcoming novel, Crazy Love You, out February 10.

Lisa Unger really is one of the best thriller writers of the day. Her characters are flawed and well-drawn and her stories are tense and fabulously plotted. Some of the books are connected and do have a reading order. If you enjoy the Whispers trilogy (or if they've piqued your curiosity) and you've not yet read any of The Hollows tales, I suggest starting with Fragile (it's one of my favorites!).

Rating: 4/5

Plague by Lisa C. Hinsley

Last month the folks over at Pocket Star, Simon & Schuster's eBook imprint, released Lisa C. Hinsley's novella Plague. The description called it a thriller in the vein of Contagion... so of course I had to read it!

Maybe not the best book choice while still suffering from an epic cold turned sinus infection but I finally dug it out of the digital TBR pile last night and dove in. And it's a whammy of a read! Brutal both in terms of gory description and heartwrenching emotion, Plague is a terrifying premise.

London has been hit by a deadly new strain of bubonic plague. Antiobiotic resistant, the outbreak has proved to be 100% fatal. At first, authorities are able to keep the outbreak fairly low key by claiming that it's been limited to the southern areas. Certain that it hasn't reached their neighborhood, Liz and Johnny at first believe that their young son, Nathan, is suffering from a cold. When his neck begins to swell, however, Liz can no longer hide from the truth: her son has the plague. Now the family has been forcibly quarantined in their home as they count down their son's final days and wait to catch it themselves. 

This is a short read that takes place of the span of just a few days. It really is a scary story especially considering I do live in an area that's still affected by what most consider to be a medieval contagion. And it's true that there are still fatalities due to plague even today, minimal as they may be.

Hinsley very quickly sets the tone and pacing of the book, moving right into the action so to speak. And since the infection progresses so quickly, the pacing is pretty breakneck. But the main focus of the story is the impact this has on the family. Liz and Johnny and Nathan have so little time left together once the infection begins and Hinsley quite impressively portrays the emotions at play. I think it makes Plague an incredibly intense read that definitely makes Hinsley one to watch.

Hinsley's next book, The Ultimate Choice, is due out from Pocket Star in February. In the meantime, I have to recommend Plague to anyone in search of a great (nightmarish) night's read!

Rating: 4/5

Club Monstrosity and Monsters in Your Neighborhood by Jesse Petersen

Every week Natalie, Alec, Kai, Drake, Linda, Ellis, Henry, Edward, and Bob get together in the Holy Heart Church basement for their support group meeting with Monstofelldosis Anonymous. They all share a difficult and taxing problem - they're monsters. Natalie is one of Frankenstein's creations, Alec is a werewolf, Kai a mummy, Drake is actually Dracula, Linda is a swamp dweller, Ellis the invisible man, Henry and Edward are the two parts of Dr, Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and Bob is the blob. All of them have been trying to live normal lives in the human world for ages and the group helps them to do that. Their latest meeting starts a bit strangely with Bob, their fearless leader, and Ellis both missing. At least they think Ellis is missing. No one can be quite sure sometimes. Their fears are realized when Natalie, who works as an assistant at the morgue, discovers that Ellis has been murdered - in the same fashion as his story. When Bob is discovered shortly thereafter, locked in a freezer and very much dead, the monsters all realize that someone is out to get them!

The Monsters in Your Neighborhood picks up about six months later with the monsters having regrouped and now readying to go head to head with the Van Helsings. They've got a couple of new members in Rehu, another mummy, and Pat, a Cthulu who lives in the sewers. But since the events of six months ago, none of them are safe. The Van Helsings have dissolved the brief but tenuous truce that once existed between them and it seems an actual monster attack has recently been caught on tape and gone viral. With their anonymity threatened and a family of historic monster hunters gunning for them, you could say they're all at their wits end.

Jesse Petersen, author of the Living with the Dead books, is back with this latest from Pocket's new e imprint. Club Monstrosity  and The Monsters in Your Neighborhood, with their ensemble cast of literary monsters, are like a snarky younger sibling of the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. They're fun and funny, altogether quick and amusing reads that hit the spot for me this week. I actually read right through both books in about a day's worth of reading time.

Petersen has a charming and sarcastic style that I find impossible to resist. It's what drew me in her previous series and these books as well. Pop culture references and the character casting complete with witty banter (and the aforementioned snark) are undeniably and welcomingly reminiscent of Buffy sans a slayer (or, in this case, with the slayer being the enemy).

Ratings: 4/5