Behind the Veil by E.J. Dawson

 

Can she keep the secrets of her past to rescue a girl tormented by a ghost?

In 1920s Los Angeles, Letitia Hawking reads the veil between life and death. A scrying bowl allows her to experience the final moments of the deceased. She brings closure to grief-stricken war widows and mourning families.
For Letitia, it is a penance. She knows no such peace.

For Alasdair Driscoll, it may be the only way to save his niece, Finola, from her growing night terrors. But when Letitia sees a shadowy figure attached to the household, it rouses old fears of her unspeakable past in England.

When a man comes to her about his missing daughter, the third girl to go missing in as many months, Letitia can’t help him when she can’t see who’s taken them.

As a darkness haunts Letitia’s vision, she may not be given a choice in helping the determined Mr Driscoll, or stop herself falling in love with him. But to do so risks a part of herself she locked away, and to release it may cost Letitia her sanity and her heart.

“There’s another fate waiting out there for you, tangled up in your past,” Old Mother Borrows said, “and you’ve got to go find it to get through it, even if it means revisiting your worst fears.”

Letitia has striven to unburden her past and make peace with her inner self. She has lived through tragedy, turmoil and loss. She tries to keep her life as secret as possible, but her calling to help others slowly unveils that which she has tried to keep hidden. Letitia can see behind the veil of life and death and through her gifts she is able to provide some peace to grieving families. When she is called upon to try to help reveal the disappearances of little girls, she is brought into a darkness of murder and a malevolent spirit is brought forth. She must do all she can to unburden the little girl that is being tormented and save her life. She must delve deep within herself to find the strength she needs to confront her own inner demons and the demon taking lives.

There is so much to love about this book. Set in the 1920's, a gothic atmosphere, characters to be invested in and routed for, wanting so much for them to have that happy ending. Death, sorrow, and evil forces. The darkness and the light in this is very well balanced. There were many spine chilling and shivering moments, but there is also many elements of humanity such as love, caring, forgiveness and healing. Letitia is very frail but through it all she finds her strength and finds a love she never thought she would ever have again.

Very engaging and well written. A recommended read for anyone that enjoys spine tingling, paranormal suspense with a little romantic element.

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Song Pairing: Trapped by MiyaVi Amore

https://youtu.be/3lYpBCbh-AA?si=baMe6YX5cGHQGXtG

The Envelope by John Durgin

 

Welcome to Pembroke—a quaint New Hampshire town where nothing ever changes, and no one questions anything...not even the annual tradition known as Mail Day.

Every year, a mysterious red envelope arrives.

Every year, someone dies.

It’s tradition. And In Pembroke, tradition doesn’t die… it kills.

The dreaded day is coming, and everyone is on edge. Will this be the year that the red envelope will be in their mailbox, will it have their name on it? If it does, what are the chances of their survival? For they will be hunted by members of the town and put to death, unless they can make it through the night.

Jared and his best friend have been preparing for this day just in case they are chosen. They have been questioning the reasons behind this yearly occurrence, and they are determined to not only find out but possibly put a stop to it ever happening again.

I read The Lottery many years ago and found it utterly disturbing, it still sticks in my mind. Well, The Envelope is equally as disturbing if not even more. It's tense, edgy, and filled with moments that are anxiety inducing. Running through the woods with Jared, going deep underground into the darkness and finding out there are things that are unsightly and frightening. Where there are many hidden secrets to be unveiled. Durgin has left no stone unturned and provides a dark, horrifying adventure. 

5 Stars

Format: Purchased Kindle eBook

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Song Pairing: The Hunted by Saint Asonia

https://youtu.be/xkzoVY6HPNk?si=t0aSGURtfSUJU5Lt

The Exorcist's House (The Exorcist's House Universe Book 1) by Nick Roberts

 

This psychological thriller follows a family to their Appalachian farmhouse, where they encounter an unimaginable horror.

In the summer of 1994, psychologist Daniel Hill buys a rustic farmhouse nestled in the rolling hills of West Virginia.

Along with his wife and teenage daughter, the family uproots their lives in Ohio and moves south. They are initially seduced by the natural beauty of the country setting. That soon changes when they discover a hidden room in the basement with a well, boarded shut and adorned with crucifixes.

Local legends about the previous owner being an exorcist come to light, but by then, all Hell has broken loose.

This 1990s horror novel is perfect for fans of family thriller books, stories of demonic possession, exorcism fiction, the occult, or thrillers like The Exorcist, A Head Full of Ghosts, and The Amityville Horror.

After reading Anathema, this is the next book in the series. If you have not read Anathema, I recommend it because it's a banger of a book.

"𝒀𝒐𝒖 𝒍𝒊𝒗𝒆 𝒐𝒏 𝒕𝒐𝒑 𝒐𝒇 𝒔𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒆𝒗𝒊𝒍. 𝑰𝒕 𝒅𝒐𝒆𝒔𝒏’𝒕 𝒋𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒉𝒂𝒖𝒏𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒔𝒆. 𝑰𝒇 𝒂𝒏𝒚𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒔 𝒊𝒏 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒕𝒂𝒄𝒕 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒊𝒕—𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒘𝒆𝒍𝒍—𝒊𝒕 𝒉𝒂𝒖𝒏𝒕𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒊𝒓 𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒅.❞

In this story there is a house out in the country that once belonged to a self-proclaimed exorcist. Now owned by Daniel and his family they have hired a construction crew to make the house livable again as there was once a fire inside. Once the family is settled in, they quickly discover that there is something strange about the basement. A secret room with a hidden well with crucifixes all around and an old trunk. After opening the room, strange occurrences begin to happen. Loss of memory, loss of time, and rotten smells permeating from the basement. There is something sinister and unsettling about the well and the family finds themselves beginning to battle something evil within their home. 

There are many things that occur within this story. Ghosts appearing, an evil entity, haunted minds, battling inner guilt from past occurrences, and something evil that craves possession of the flesh. Horrific scenes of death. A creepy, claustrophobic, rotten smelling basement where evil permeates every corner.

I really hate basements and if it was me, I would run like hell and never return. 

Now, I am going to be completely honest here and admit that I really wasn't scared reading this, I think I am a bit desensitized after reading horror books for many, many years. But it was entertaining and worth reading. It had a strong ending that has a connection to Anathema which I was very satisfied with. 

4 Stars

Format: Purchased Kindle eBook

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Song Pairing: Shepherd of Fire

https://youtu.be/bT8FEOJEFcI?si=Cgy6QmXXJRk-iylO

Anathema by Nick Roberts

 

Bryan and Ellie Stockton hope they left behind their demons when they move to their idyllic new home in southern West Virginia. Above all, they want a fresh start for their young son, Derrick, who witnessed the tumultuous first years of their marriage – years that were rife with substance abuse, rage, and resentment. Their bright hope for the future is darkened when a child disappears from their neighborhood. The couple becomes suspicious of a reclusive resident with a degenerative brain disorder. Strange events begin to happen in their house just as Derrick tells them about a new friend who visits him at night. Their son may be acting out from the trauma he endured, or he could be the obsession of something much more sinister.

Can there be anything more horrifying than a creepy neighbor stalking a child? 

Bryan and Ellie are struggling with their own past addictions, hoping to begin a new and better life for themselves and their son, Derrick, they move to a new neighborhood. A fresh start for them all. 

When Derrick begins talking about a new friend he has made, his counselor and parents believe it is just an imaginary friend, a way to deal with his past trauma. But strange things begin to occur in their home, noises, missing objects, and Derrick telling his parents things he should not know. 

Things only get worse from there and they find themselves in a fight for their lives. 

This was one creepy story that had me on edge throughout. The twists were surprising and became more and more evil and often unexpected. The tension was always high and often had me pausing. There are graphic scenes that made me chilled to the bone and there is pure evil that dwells within this story. The ending was horrifying if not a bit sad but also gratifying as well. 

I read this in a day and that says a lot!

Excellent! 

5 stars

Format: Purchased Kindle eBook

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Song Pairing: Danger

https://youtu.be/eQTtfMgz4Ow?si=po_2tcxFaZpcbe9d

Mastodon by Steve Stred

 17 years ago, Tyler Barton was born in the Rocky Mountains, while his parents were on a hike.

On that day, his mother disappeared, never to be seen again.

Now, history repeats itself.

On the 17th anniversary of her disappearance, Tyler’s father is flying home when the plane he’s on disappears – in the same area where his mother was last seen.

Undeterred by officials, Tyler decides to hike into the area in search of his father, hoping to find him alive and bring him back to safety.

But there’s a reason that area is prohibited to enter and even though Tyler doesn’t care, he’ll soon find out that the wilderness can hide some of the deepest, darkest fears known to man.

From the author of ‘Incarnate,’ ‘The Window In the Ground’ and ‘Ritual’ comes a new novel that’ll make you rethink your Summer hiking trip.

If you enjoy hiking in the forests then you may want to rethink that after reading Mastodon, it may have you looking behind you or all around you wondering what the hell that noise was.

Even though it is forbidden territory, Tyler is searching for his father, but what he comes across was nothing he could have ever fathomed. 

The creatures are unusually huge and have appendages that are not normal. They are violent and frightening. But what is even more frightening is the humans behind all these anomalies. 

This is not only a survival story, but a story filled with the unexpected and grotesque. Things that occur that turns the stomach and burns the eyes. 

The ending was not what I was expecting, and it had me yelling, no, no, no!

A second installment is coming in March 2026. 

4 Stars

Format: Purchased Physical Copy

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Song Pairing: You've Created A Monster

https://youtu.be/RbydodV3118?si=nqtRhweM81bJcBSX

Becoming by Glenn Rolfe

 

Something ancient has wormed its way up from the earth.... A change has come today. After Michele Cote's best friend disappears, no one believes her story about the thing responsible for his abduction. Forced to figure out the mystery for herself, Michele encounters terror she has never known, and witnesses the impossible. When other members of the community begin to change or vanish, Sheriff Shane Davis must look beyond reason in order to stop the evil seeping into this small town. With help from an unlikely source, Sheriff Davis will come face-to-face with the truth. You can't destroy what you don't understand. For the small town of Avalon, Maine, the future is about change...for better or worse. Becoming is the next horrifying novel from author, Glenn Rolfe.

"In all my years lived never have I witnessed such evil. The devil in the waters . . . "

Creature feature, small town horror. The lady of the lake will arise from the depths of Jade Lake to claim all the souls of the town of Avalon, ME. She is ancient and demands reverence. She has chosen one to begin the changes so they all may become. The residents now have mesmerizing, glowing green eyes and serpentine appendages, and it seems there is no hope for survival. 

Not only is there a looming dread as the story unfolds, but there is also an uncomfortableness beneath the surface. A dreadful relationship between father and son and a broken relationship between mother and daughter. There is also loss and grief as the characters meet their demise. 

*There is a bonus novella included, "Boom Town".

4 Stars

Format: Purchased Kindle eBook

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Song Pairing: Become the Prey

https://youtu.be/L9J8cfreOIU?si=WWkXc4G52qF9551P

Devil's Creek by Todd Keisling

 

THERE’S A DARK TRUTH BURIED AMONG THE ROOTS AND BONES.

About fifteen miles west of Stauford, Kentucky lies Devil’s Creek. According to local legend, there used to be a church out there, home to the Lord’s Church of Holy Voices―a death cult where Jacob Masters preached the gospel of a nameless god.

In 1983, the church burned to the ground following a mass suicide. Among the survivors were Jacob’s six children and their grandparents, who banded together to defy their former minister. Dubbed the “Stauford Six,” these children grew up amid scrutiny and ridicule, but their infamy has faded over the last thirty years.

Now their ordeal is all but forgotten, and Jacob Masters is nothing more than a scary story told around campfires.

For Jack Tremly, one of the Six, memories of that fateful night have fueled a successful art career―and a lifetime of nightmares. When his grandmother Imogene dies, Jack returns to Stauford to settle her estate. What he finds waiting for him are secrets Imogene kept in his youth, secrets about his father and the church. Secrets that can no longer stay buried.

The roots of Jacob’s buried god run deep, and within the heart of Devil’s Creek, something is beginning to stir…

"Your will and the old ways are one."

Religious/Occult horror is one of my favorites, so going into this, I was expecting it to be dark and foreboding. But this was much darker than anything I have ever read, and I have read many dark books in my day. It is disturbing at its very core and more chilling than my mind could ever possibly conjure up in my imagination. 

The story depicts how evil can be such a huge influence on someone with a disturbed mind and how people will follow the masses, looking for something to believe in. The mistakes made by overlooking the atrocities that are occurring and eventually realizing how evil the occurrences happening really are. The suffering lingers for a lifetime. 

The evil that lies below is a cosmic evil entity that whispers, "Suffer for me", making promises of a life of deplorable freedoms to do as one pleases. Sexual desires, drugs, etc. This added an even more disturbing aspect to the story that gave me an unpleasant feeling deep within. Especially when it came to the children!

I appreciate a thick book with deep storytelling that keeps me engaged, waiting to see what the ending will be. The ending here was not disappointing hoping that good over evil will win.

5 Stars

Format: Purchased Physical Copy

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Song Pairing: I'll Burn this Bitch Down

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