The Wrong Number (Fear Street #5) by R. L. Stine (Book Review)
It begins as an innocent prank, when Deena Martinson and her best friend Jade Smith make sexy phone calls to the boys from school. But Deena's half-brother Chuck catches them in the act and threatens to tell their parents, unless the girls let him in on the fun. Chuck begins making random calls, some even threatening. It's dangerous and exciting. They're even enjoying the publicity, and the uproar they've caused. Until Chuck calls a number on Fear Street.
To his horror, Chuck realizes he has called THE WRONG NUMBER. The jokes are over when murder is on the line. The murderer knows who they are and where they live — and they have nowhere to call for help.
One thing about the Fear Street series is that some of the books are definitely more mature in subject and writing style then others. I read these when I was in Jr. High... Continue reading
All Hallow’s Eve: The One Day it’s BAD to be Good by Carolyn McCray (Book Review)
People are being martyred but not for their faith. Instead the deaths are part of a serial killer's sick game as he chooses his victim by their name... then kills them in that Saint's grisly manner.
After finally finishing this book, I’m not quite sure what to think of it. In the end it was a mix of an adult book (with the police aspect) and a young adult slasher novel (with most of the character development between... Continue reading
Funland by Richard Laymon (Book Review)
A growing group of leering, belligerent punks known as the Trolls are intimidating fun-seekers at the coastal amusement park Funland, and some of the local teens blame the Trolls for a series of missing persons and decide to fight back late one night. But what’s really behind the disappearances is waiting for them all in the funhouse. . .
I have read quite a few Richard Laymon books before I started reviewing novels here on the site and if you don’t know anything about the author or his books, then you should know that most of the time they involve multiple killers who love... Continue reading
JAWS (1975)
When a gigantic great white shark begins to menace the small island community of Amity, a police chief, a marine scientist and grizzled fisherman set out to stop it. Based on the best selling book JAWS by Peter Benchley.
I’ve always been a HUGE fan of JAWS. Its one of the only movies that have ever genuinely terrified me. My family and I used to travel to a beach up in New Hampshire numerous times every summer in the 80s when I was a kid. Funny enough, I used to have... Continue reading
Serial by Jack Kilborn & Blake Crouch (Book Review)
Remember the twin golden rules of hitchhiking? #1: Don’t go hitchhiking, because the driver who picks you up could be certifiably crazy. #2: Don’t pick up hitchhikers, because the traveler you pick up could be certifiably crazy. So what if, on some dark, isolated road, Crazy #1 offered a ride to Crazy #2? This is the first in the terrifying trilogy of novellas including KILLERS and BIRDS OF PREY by Crouch and Kilborn.
The official plot description posted here honestly isn’t the best one. It leads you to believe, or at least it lead me to believe, that this book would be one story involving... Continue reading
Identity (2003)
Complete strangers stranded at a remote desert motel during a raging storm soon find themselves the target of a deranged murderer. As their numbers thin out, the travelers begin to turn on each other, as each tries to figure out who the killer is.
I recall seeing this movie when it first came out. I was super excited for this murder mystery movie, and as it played out it really reminded me of “Clue” (a favorite movie and board game of mine) with a mix of a slasher film... Continue reading
Dead Man Walking by Marty Shaw (Book Review)
Griffin knew watching an inmate being put to death wouldn't be fun, but he never expected Callahan to return as something less than human. Now Griffin, along with a handful of officers and inmates, are trapped within the walls of a prison as a legion of the walking dead stalk them for food. The choice is simple - fight back or die.
Seeing how this is a short story, there isn’t all that much to write about in response to how I liked the story other then saying I loved it... Continue reading
Sacred Evil (Krewe of Hunters Series book #3) By Heather Graham (Book Review)
[rating:3/5]
Murders take place on a daily basis in New York. But what’s so special about these murders is that someone is copying each and everyone of Jack The Ripper’s kills. The Krewe of Hunters is called in to investigate the murders using their paranormal abilities. When Whitney arrives early she finds herself working very closely with Jude, a NYC detective. Continue reading
Phantom Evil (Krewe of Hunters Series book #1) By Heather Graham (Book Review)
[rating:2/5]
In a historic mansion in New Orleans’ French Quarter, a senator’s wife falls to her death from a balcony. Most think she jumped, distraught over the loss of her young son. Some say she was pushed. And yet others believe she was beckoned by the ghostly spirits that inhabit the house — once the site of a serial killer’s grisly work. A secret government unit is sent to investigate the haunted house. Continue reading
Before Cain Strikes by Joshua Corin (Book Review)
[rating:3.5/5]
School is in session. The subject is murder. When the student is ready, the teacher appears. The only problem is, in this online classroom the students are would-be serial killers eager to learn the tricks of the trade from a master, the enigmatic Cain42. FBI consultant Esme Stuart is struggling to stanch the doubt and fear eating away at her marriage. Now a seedy truecrime writer is dredging up the deadly confrontation that nearly destroyed her. Esme knows her involvement in the case could cost her everything. Her marriage. Her daughter. Her life. But when Cain openly challenges his “students” to embark on a killing spree, she has no choice but to act— before Cain strikes another victim down… Continue reading
Devil (2010)
[rating:2.5/5]
In this edgy thriller, Det. Bowden must not only save five people trapped in an elevator -- a mechanic, a young woman , an old woman, a guard and a salesman -- but he must act fast because the devil is among them. Drew Dowdle and John Erick Dowdle direct M. Night Shyamalan's story, which explores the notion that there are no coincidences. Continue reading