Black Mouth – Ronald Malfi

⭐⭐⭐

Bewertung: 3 von 5.

This is the creepy story about three friends who experienced something sinister while they were young. Jamie, Mia and Clay grew up in a former mining town. The mines collapsed years ago and killed several miners. So there is an eerie feeling about this area. One day they met a mysterious man who called himself The Magician. He befriended the kids and taught them card tricks. But there was something off about this guy and everything ended in a traumatic event.

Twenty five years later Jamie is still guild ridden and only finds solution at the bottom of a bottle. Then he gets notice from Mia. She snapped a picture of a man at a carnival who looked exactly like The Magician. But that is not possible. Or is it?

I was intrigued by the blurb and was drawn into the story quite easily. It was a creepy story which played with the idea that maybe something supernatural may be going on. I love that kind of stuff but I love it even more when there is a reasonable explanation with the hint that there could be something else at work. So I loved how this book seems to end. But then there was more to the ending and that was a bit too much for my taste. For some reasons I am not a fast reader at the moment and this book did nothing for me to change that. It dragged a bit for me and I found myself doing something else instead of reading it.

This was my second book from the author and I would read another one. This one will not appear in my top reading list but I still enjoyed it and loved the idea and the eerie atmosphere.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Starve Acre – Andrew Michael Hurley

  4 Stars

Andrew Michael Hurley returns with a hauntingly beautiful written novel of a couple shaken by the sudden death of her five year old son.

 

Juliette and Richard Willoughby were a happily married couple. They moved to a rural Yorkshire village into a house Richard inherited from his parents. Here, they think, or at least Juliette thinks, that this would be a much better environment for their little boy. But soon Richard gets obsessed by digging for the roots of an old tree on the field which belongs to his house. Their son Ewan, at first a lovely boy, begins to show signs of violence and there are some very upsetting events which he caused. He claims that he hears a voice which tells him to do those cruel things. After Ewan’s sudden deaths Juliette is absolutely devastated and can’t let go. An old friend tells her about a woman who can help people in her own special way. Richard is skeptical but wants to try everything to help Juliette with her grief. And indeed after this kind of séance Juliette begins to feel better. But that does not change things for the better after all.

 

Hurley has a gift for creating atmospheric books. He has a thing for English folklore and in all of his books he weaves some of it into it. I’ve read his two previous books and I liked especially “The Looney”. “Starve Acre” is a bit shorter than the other ones and that is a good thing. He keeps it nice and short here. He is not a master of suspense and his last book “Devil’s Day” was a bit too long and therefore a bit lengthy. Here the story feels just right. There are strange things going on in this little village and especially with Ewan. There are really some goose bump moments.

 

I am not so happy with the characters. Richard is a very boring guy and Juliette is horrible. Even before Ewan’s death she is an ignorant and controlling woman and Richard seems to have not much to say in their marriage. There is a scene with a psychiatrist in which she acts extremely weird. The story is also very mystical. Not everything is explained. It’s more left for your imagination. The ending is kind of strange and does not give you all the answers. But this is Andrew Michael Hurley’s style. I like the way he writes and creates a different kind of stories. I enjoyed reading this book although it was very strange. But maybe I just liked it because of that.

 

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Lock Every Door – Riley Sager

  4 Stars

This had definitely some „Rosemary’s Baby“ vibes. This is a fun book to read. The story is weird and very far-fetched. But at the same time it is very addictive and gripping.

 

Some things are just too good to be true. Jules lost her job and her boyfriend at the same day. She crushes on a friends couch when she sees a job advertisement which is almost unbelievable. She gets paid a lot of money just to live in a luxury apartment on New York’s Upper West Side. Similar to the infamous The Dakota building is the Bartholomew. Here reside the wealthy and famous who love their privacy. And they don’t want an apartment to stay empty. So Jules will receive a ridiculous amount of money just to live in one of the spacious apartments with a breathtaking view onto Central Park. She can’t believe her luck. There are some strange rules coming with the job, though. She is not allowed to spend one night not in the apartment, visitors are also not allowed and she is not supposed to speak to other tenants. But it seems really like the answer to all her problems. She has a roof over her head for the next three months and at the end she has money to start her life anew. But within 5 days everything turns into a nightmare.

 

I am a huge fan of “Rosemary’s Baby”. Both the film and the book. This book gave me the same feeling. Something is very off at this building and its tenants. I enjoyed reading it although in the middle it lacks a bit of action while Jules is running endlessly around asking about another apartment-sitter who has gone missing. This is my third book from Riley Sager. I liked “The Final Girls” but it did not blow me away. “The Last Time I Lied” was my favorite so far. I think it was better than this one. But I still liked “Lock Every Door” very much. I liked the creepy atmosphere and the so long successfully kept secret that lingered there. 4 satisfied stars from me for this entertaining book. Keep it up, Mr. Sager!

 

I recieved an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Das Haus am Ende der Welt – Paul Tremblay

  3 Sterne

Die achtjährige Wen macht mit ihren beiden Vätern in einer einsamen und idyllischen Holzhütte Urlaub. Sie spielt vor dem Haus, fängt Grashüpfer. Plötzlich kommt ein Mann durch den Wald auf sie zu. Ihre Väter sitzen hinter dem Haus auf der Terrasse. Sie weiß dass sie nicht mit Fremden reden soll. Aber dieser große Mann erscheint ihr freundlich und sanftmütig. Zudem zeigt er Interesse an ihrem Tun und fängt mit ihr zusammen weitere Grashüpfer. Doch plötzlich kommen drei weitere Fremde aus dem Wald, in ihren Händen halten sie seltsame Waffen. Und Wens neuer Freund erklärt ihr, dass sie nun mit ihren Vätern reden müssen. Denn nur sie können die Welt retten.

 

Paul Tremblay ist ein unheimlicher Anfang gelungen. Der Fremde erscheint nett und ehrlich und doch wissen wir als Leser und Erwachsener, dass wir ihm nicht trauen sollten. Schon kurz danach dringen er und seine Begleiter in die Hütte der Familie ein und konfrontieren sie mit einer unglaublichen Geschichte.

 

Dieser Anfang wird in recht kindlicher und einfacher Sprache aus der Sicht von Wen erzählt. Leider behält der Autor diesen übererklärenden und einfachen Schreibstil den Rest des Buches bei, egal aus welcher Sicht er gerade schreibt. Er wählt gleichzeitig eine sehr erzählende Schreibweise. Ein Teil der Handlung passiert, aber vieles wird auch einfach nur erzählt, in Rückblenden und dergleichen. Und alles klingt, als würde ein Kind es erzählen. Das hat mich etwas gestört. Trotzdem entfaltet diese bizarre Geschichte einen gewissen Sog und man möchte wissen, was es mit allem auf sich hat. Dabei leidet man mit der armen Familie, die unter diesen Eindringlichen leiden muss, mit. Was Realität ist oder die Phantasie kranker Menschen bleibt dahingestellt. Das Ende  hat mich nicht ganz befriedigt. Ich hätte noch mit einer Überraschung gerechnet.

 

Ich bin etwas zwiegespalten. Es handelt sich hier nicht um einen Gruselthriller oder spannungsgeladenen Mysterythriller. Der Horror ist sehr subtil und wird durch die kindliche Schreibweise schwer greifbar. Das Buch ist kurz und lässt sich schnell weglesen, weist aber in seiner detaillieren Beschreibung trotzdem gewisse Längen auf. Dies ist mein drittes Buch von Paul Tremblay. Sein erstes Buch „Head Full Of Ghosts“ hat mich überzeugen können. Die Geschichte ist mir lange nachgegangen und hat im Nachhinein meine Meinung darüber noch einmal verbessert. Sein zweites Buch fand ich dagegen unfassbar langweilig. „Das Haus am Ende der Welt“ lässt mich etwas unentschlossen zurück. Ich denke, dass ich genau wie bei seinem ersten Buch eine gewisse Nachwirkung erleben werde. Diese Geschichte werde ich so schnell nicht vergessen. Es hat mich aber trotzdem nicht restlos überzeugen können, vor allem wegen seiner Schreibweise und dem schwachen Ende. Viele Fragen werden nicht beantwortet. Aber es ist ein ungewöhnliches Buch, anders, auf subtile Weise beängstigend und doch irgendwie nur halbherzig. Ich werde den Autor aber weiterhin im Auge behalten.

 

3 positive Sterne

 

Ich möchte mich beim Heyne Verlag bedanken, die mir ein Leseexemplar zur Verfügung gestellt haben

Little Darlings – Melanie Golding

  3 Stars

„Little Darlings“ is a creepy read. It keeps you guessing whether Lauren has mental issues or is haunted by a kind of gruesome fairy.

 

Lauren just gave birth to twin sons. While in hospital and still overwhelmed with the birth experience and feeding two hungry babies she has a weird experience. She sees a woman with twins who offers her a deal. She wants to swap one of the babies. If Lauren refuses she will take both of her sons. But nobody saw that women and so nobody believes her. But this encounter leaves Lauren terribly scared. After returning home she refuses to leave the house. When her not very helpful husband and some friends are growing more and more concerned about her mental state she finally manages to get to the nearby lake for a walk with her babies. But there something happened that seems to fulfill Lauren’s greatest fears.

 

At first I was a bit concerned if this book would turn out to be a good one for me. The birth and the aftermath of it were described very detailed. Also there was a lot about breastfeeding twins and caring for them. This went on for quite a while because Lauren does not much else. The pace is slow and the tension is not very strong. After the accident at the lake it gets a bit more interesting because the author manages to keep you guessing what happend. Is there something sinister and supernatural happening or is it just Lauren’s imagination?

 

The book is an easy read. I found it a bit slow because of all the maternal problems which are described extensively. But I liked how it kept me guessing.

Thin Air – Michelle Paver

  4 Stars

Athmospheric and creepy story about 5 men trying to be the first to reach the peak of Kangchenjunga, one of the Himalaya mountains. I am succer for stories about climbing. And if it is also a ghoststory I am hooked. Michelle Paver did not dissappoint me although the story builds up very slowly. But the farther the men climb the creepier it gets.

It is a short book and quick to read. If you are interested in the history of climbing it may not be the one for you. It does not go to much into detail about climbing technic. It is more about the athmosphere and the mystery around an earlier climbing group. I was exactly my cup of tea.

The Rumour – Lesley Kara

  3,5 Stars

After a slow start this book surprises you with a twist and takes you on a rollercoaster.

 

Single mum Joanna moves to a small town where her mother is living. Her little son Alfie was bullied in his last school and he is still not doing so well in his new one. Joanna tries to bond with the other mothers and has that stupid idea to pass on a rumour. Soon this gossip gets out of hand and Joanna finds herself getting obsessed with it.

 

Rumours have a life of their own and they can be dangerous. Joanna feels immediately bad about it when she takes part in the gossip. It is easy to bond with Joanna as a character but I think she does a lot of stupid things and she acts very imprudent. The first half of the book is quite slow and there is a lot about Joanna and her private life. But I never lost interest in the story. The unexpected twist puts the story on a different route than I expected this book would be. It shows not only how a rumour can ruin lives as well what it  means for people who made a terrible thing in their lives to live with a new identity.  It is an interesting aspect. I liked the twist, maybe not the last one but that was not so unexpected (if you are an experienced thriller reader like me). For my taste at the end everything was a bit over-dramatic. But it still is a quick and entertaining read with some interesting aspects.

 
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

In Her Shadow – Mark Edwards

  3 Stars

I am a huge Mark Edwards fan and I would read anything that he writes. His ability to weave paranormal and haunting elements into his books in a gripping and believable way is remarkable. I enjoyed his last book “The Retreat” very much. So I was excited to get my hands on his new book.

 

The story begins very strong and it holds the suspense for quite a while. But somehow the story turns into a hectic race. I enjoyed the part with the paranormal thing and watching Jessica’s ordinary live become creepy. I love it when it looks all so supernatural but there also is the chance of a logical explanation. But as soon as Jessica decides that there is more to the dead of her sister the story goes downhill. Jessica really got on my nerves with her jumping around and accusing one after the other to be a murderer. Actually, I did not mind that the book suddenly turned into a whodunit-story. It was more that it seems to me that the second part of the book was done with less preciseness. It felt that the story needed further elaboration. Everything is just happening very conveniently. I just did not buy how this all worked out.

 

Mark Edwards writing is solid and he drew me again into his story. But I did not love this book as much as his others. It still is a good book but it feels like it wanted too many things and failed to elaborate some parts. But I still would read more from Mark Edwards because he is still a very good writer.

Gathering Of Ghosts – Karen Maitland

  3,5 Stars

Karen Maitland proved again that she can create wonderful creepy historic fiction. I like her dark and atmospheric stories. “The Gathering of Ghosts” is about a clash of the old pagan and the Christian believes. The story is character driven. We see the story through the eyes of several characters. Actually, there is not much activity going on in the story. It is more about the situation, and the strong rules religions demand.

 

The book is settled during the Great Famine in England between 1315 and 1317. Due to extreme wet and cold weather Europe suffered from starvation. There are different narrators and it took some time until you get to know what binds them together.

 

The book captivated with its creepy atmosphere. But I have to say the book lacks a bit of a real story which leads us to somewhere. Most of the things are happening in the heads of the characters. There is not a huge development, not some kind of mystery to reveal. Well, the book says there is one but it is not really a big surprise. The book shows us how unimaginable horrible these times of starvation must have been. It shows us also how old pagan believes stayed alive right under the nose of Christianity. As always in Maitland’s books, there is a supernatural thing involved.

 

“Gathering of Ghosts” is a nice and entertaining read for lovers of historical fiction with a creepy touch.

 

3,5 Stars

The Hunger – Die letzte Reise – Alma Katsu

  3 Stars

German book – German review

 

„The Hunger“ ist die fiktionale Erzählung einer realen Tragödie. Im Stile von Dan Simmons „Terror“ oder  „Der Berg“ gibt die Autorin der traurigen Geschichte eines unglücklichen Siedlertrecks einen Twist ins Übernatürliche.

 

Die Story beschreibt in Grundzügen die reale Reise der Donner-Party. Im April 1846 macht sich ein Siedlertreck von Illinois unter der Leitung von George Donner und James Reed auf nach Kalifornien. Durch ein paar Fehlentscheidungen verlieren sie viel Zeit. Deswegen beschließen sie, einen neuen Weg auszuprobieren anstatt den bewährten California-Trail. Sie vertrauen den Worten eines Mannes, der den Weg nur per Pferd und mit leichtem Gepäck beritten hat. Warnungen, nicht auf ihn zu hören, erreichen die Reisenden nicht mehr. Der neue Weg entpuppt sich leider nicht als die erhoffte Abkürzung. Er ist extrem beschwerlich, für Planwagen nahezu ungeeignet. Es ist eine unfassbare Anstrengung für die 87 Menschen, von denen ein Großteil aus Frauen und Kindern besteht. Sie verlieren noch mehr Zeit und werden im Oktober in der Sierra Nevada von einem Schneesturm überrascht und müssen dort Überwintern. Ihre Vorräte gehen zur Neige. Von dem mitgeführten Vieh ist das meiste auf der strapaziösen Reise verendet. Nach einigen Wochen können ein paar der Siedler losziehen um Hilfe zu holen und die Überlebenden zu retten.

 

Diese Geschichte ist schon fürchterlich genug. Die Hälfte der Siedler starb auf dem Weg. Der Rest wurde halb verhungert gefunden. Schon bald wurden Geschichten über Kannibalismus verbreitet. Was genau geschah, weiß man nicht. Die Autorin nun lässt die armen Menschen einen zusätzlichen Horror erleben. Irgendetwas verfolgt sie. Kinder verschwinden nachts aus den Zelten und werden nie mehr gefunden. Geschichten um blutdürstige Indianer machen die Runde. Einige denken, es ist einen Dämon. Anstrengung, Angst und Hunger machen die Siedler reizbar. Es kommt zu Streit und Gewalttätigkeiten.

 

„The Hunger“ hat mich interessiert, da es ähnlich wie „Terror“ eine wahre Geschichte zu einer Horrorstory verarbeitet. Dan Simmons oben erwähnte Bücher haben mir sehr gut gefallen und ich habe sie geradezu verschlungen. Alma Katsu hat allerdings nicht Simmons erzählerische Kraft. Ihr Buch ist auch viel kürzer und knapper, was aber für mich kein Negativpunkt. Sie hat den Fokus auf einige Figuren beschränkt, mit denen man schon bald mitfiebert, auch wenn man weiß, wie die Geschichte für sie ausging. Es gibt leider nur wenige, rudimentäre Landschaftsbeschreibungen. Man erfährt wenig über die Historie der Siedlertrecks in Amerika. Die gewaltige Anstrengung, die ein solcher Treck quer durch Amerika damals bedeutet, wird in Ansätzen angedeutet, bleibt aber an der Oberfläche. Als historischen Roman würde ich das Buch deswegen nicht einordnen. Es ist klar ein Horrorbuch, auch wenn mir persönlich nicht besonders unheimlich wurde während des Lesens. Mir die ganze Ursache zu wenig greifbar. Was sich dort in den Wäldern versteckt und einen Hunger auf Menschen hat, bleibt zwar nicht ungeklärt, aber doch ein wenig ein Mysterium.

 

Ich habe das Buch trotzdem gerne gelesen. Es ist nicht sonderlich umfangreich und liest sich flüssig. Katsu schreibt knapp und präzise. Ihre Figurenentwicklung ist besser als ihre Storyentwicklung, soweit es jedenfalls den Horror im Wald angeht. Die Geschichte um die Donner-Party ist ja vorgegeben und wie sie im Nachwort schreibt, ist sie nur in einigen wenigen Dingen davon abgewichen.  Das Buch hält die Balance zwischen Historie und Grusel, kratzt aber bei beidem leider nur an der Oberfläche. Die Story  um die Donner-Party und ihre realen und fiktionalen Dramen ist aber trotzdem sehr interessant und der flüssige und schnörkellose Schreibstil machen das Buch zu einem kurzweiligen Leseerlebnis.

 

Ich habe das Buch von Heyne-Verlag zur Verfügung gestellt bekommen, wofür ich mich ganz herzlich bedanken möchte.