E-ARC Review of Night Terror

 I received this book from NetGalley for a fair and honest review.

Who the hell holds up a bookstore? That’s what Noah asks when his favorite spot is suddenly targeted by masked attackers.

But these people don’t want a ransom. They are searching for Bleak Haven’s very own urban legend – The Burning Book.

When something with a thirst for flesh creeps from its pages, Noah must team up with the other hostages and try to escape the mall without turning their town into a bloodbath.

So, this is the second book in the Bleak Haven series, and after reading book one and enjoying it, I thought I would get to this one. This one is a lot different than book one and leans more into the paranormal, while book one felt more like a murder mystery with a bit of horror. 

Bleak Haven is a cursed town and has been host to many horrible serial killers, and the town always holds memorials every year, so they don't forget the dead. The teenagers in this one would have been babies during the Lullaby Man's reign of terror. They have grown up with these town memorials, and some have had enough, one being the town's mayor's own son. 

One night, while Noah, his best friend Matt, and Grace, a girl who always hangs out in the bookstore and is the owner, are held up by three teens who want the Burning Book, they want to prove it's nothing but stories. That having the book wouldn't do anything; they were wrong. 

The owner refuses to give them the book. Noah can't believe they would even think it was there, but they find it, and they will wish they never did, as out from the pages come the Holts, killers from the past. There is a reason why they are the ones that come out of the burning book, but you will have to read to find out. 

Now it's a fight for survival trapped inside a mall. 

This one started out okay, but I don't think I do well with stories that are closed up inside one area, as I get bored with the setting or something. I thought the story was decent, but by about 70% or so I was ready for it to be done and for them to figure out what they needed to do to get out. So that is probably just a me thing, and I think others might enjoy it more than I did. 

I thought that most of the boys were weak characters, and I don't like ones where it makes the girls so much better at things than the guys. 

I would recommend it if you like YA horror and think it sounds interesting. I just didn't like it as much as book one. 

3 stars

E-Arc review of Heart-Pounding Horror Speed Reads

 I received this book from Netgalley for a fair and honest review. This book comes out January 1st, 2027.

Looking for a quick horror fix? Speed Reads is here to help—and horrify! A boy pieces together disturbing clues and suspects his friend is a werewolf. A pet spider is hungry, and its owner invites guests over to “feed” it. A girl has a bizarre experience after following a friend into a creepy house. This collection of short stories is perfect for young readers who love heart-pounding horror. With brisk plots and fast-paced action, these speedy reads are sure to spark imaginations, even when time, energy, or attention is limited.

Because this is a short story collection, I don't think there's much I can say without spoiling anything, but if you have young readers getting into things like Goosebumps and lightly spooky books, I think they will enjoy these. 

I am not a huge short-story fan, but my favorites have been middle-grade ones. Most of these were fun; I think only maybe one or two I thought fell a bit flat. The others, I thought, could be creepy and fun for kids. I think my favorite one is about the pet spider. 

So, in the coming year, if you have young readers looking for some fun short stories, I would highly recommend getting this book for them, as it comes out on January 1, 2027.

4 stars

Week in Review #145

The Week in Review is where I combine Stacking the Shelves, The Sunday Post and It's Monday! What are you reading?  If you have never joined in on these meme's you can check them out by clicking on the meme and it will take you to the host blog.

So, it's been very hot here, with multiple days in the 100s, which just never happens often anyway, and we had a broken AC for most of it, so just nasty. So it was nice to have a day or two with some rain and a little cooldown. We will be headed back to the 90s this coming week, but I think the last of the 100s are over, I hope. :) Other than that I don't have much to chat about.

What I have read

• An Exorcist Tells His Story - a non-fiction book by a famous exorcist, Father Gabriel Amorth, it was interesting.
• The Doll House - a middle-grade horror book, and if any kind of doll-type story creeps you out, then you might not like this one, but I thought it was pretty decent and can see it being spooky for kids.
• The Mystery of the Empty Room - a vintage mystery that wasn't very much of a mystery and was slightly boring, but the cover is pretty cool.
• The Bitter Past - the first book in a mystery series, and it's set in the high deserts in Nevada around Area 51. This first one has a past and present timeline and is about nuclear bomb testing, Russian spies, and how that has to do with a murder in the present day. It was a decent start to a series.

Currently reading

• Angels and Demons - Read this probably close to when it came out and the second one, but never continued the series, and now I kind of want to, but I needed to reread and see if I still find it interesting. So far it's going okay; I am listening to it on and off as it's not a high priority.
• First Contact - The first book in the Experiencers series and one of my newer eARCs. It comes out in a few days, so trying to get it done somewhat close to the release date. :) Middle-grade alien book, going okay so far.
• Night Terror - the second book in the Bleak Haven series and slightly more paranormal horror than the first book, which I found to be more murder mystery than horror. I am liking it so far; it's an older eARC from earlier this year, trying to get to some of them that have been neglected.
• We Are For The Dark - another eARC that I think came out already this month, but hey, I am trying. :) It's a YA horror book, and so far it's okay, but not much has happened.

Hope you all are having a great reading week! Let me know what you're working on!

eARC Review ~ Alien Survival Guide Trilogy

 

I got all three of these books from NetGalley. Two are older, from last year, and the third came out on September 8th, so I recently read all three, and I am writing a review of the whole trilogy.

This trilogy is about Marv, code name Gold Leader, who is obsessed with the fact that aliens could invade at any moment. His friend, Jace, code name Baller One, mostly humors him by going out and staying in an abandoned tower where they have made a fort so they can look out for aliens. Basically, Marv has to play basketball with Jace, and in turn, he lets Marv do the alien thing. 

In book one, Marv gets new neighbors, and he just knows they are aliens in disguise. It's a father and his daughter. One night, while Marv and Jace were on alien patrol in the fort, they are followed by Nora. They see some lights in the woods and go investigate. What they find makes Marv freak out, as it must be an alien spacecraft. They see what looks like an alien, as he has a helmet on, getting something off of the craft and putting it in a vial. They get chased by the "alien" and take off for home. The next day, Marv and Jace follow the neighbor. After Marv's mom says something to him about what Marv told her since Nora was there, Marv shows him a fuzzy picture, and he reacts. Marv is even more sure that he is an alien. Following him leads them to some spooky things, and they find out what the thing is in the woods, but knowing could be dangerous. 

In book two, something from the first book is still around, and it may have gotten into Marv's large stash of toilet paper that he had at the fort. So again you have Marv, who, after things that happened in the first book, is very much on high alert for aliens, still thinks his neighbor is an alien, at least the father. All three kids are out in the woods doing some "survival" training that doesn't go well. Jace and Nora go home, but Marv stays out, wanting to do some more looking out in the fort and sees a motorcycle being chased by a car, but the motorcycle has nobody driving it. He sees something that spooks him, and he tells his friends; they don't believe him at first, but soon they will. We get introduced to a new character, Kenji, code name Pyro, who comes in handy when dealing with a toilet paper monster of sorts. This one was a lot of fun!

Now, book three felt a lot different than the first two; it was a bit lighter sci-fi than this third book. Even the cover of this one looks way different. In this one, Marv, Jace, and Kenji are camping out (Nora being a girl isn't allowed) where Marv thinks a UFO signal is coming from. Marv thinks that an abandoned house has something alien in it. They keep getting a signal on their walkie-talkies saying, "We are the homing signal," which has to be alien, right? While investigating the house, something strange happens, they get Nora on the walkie and ask if she sees anything; she says a bright light was coming from over where they were. Then they go down to the basement and find some abandoned instruments. All three seem drawn to the instruments; Kenji starts playing the drums, Jace is looking at the keyboard, and Marv is even interested in the guitar. The next day, they get Nora to go with them to check things out, as Marv is convinced something alien is going on, and he can't get that guitar out of his head. Nora invites another girl as she thinks Marv and her will have a lot in common, and she plays the guitar. So in comes the new character, Liv, code name Alien Lover. Liv is a fan of aliens and thinks it would be cool to encounter one, so Marv and she are not on the same page about aliens.

Something weird is going on, though, and when they play the instruments, it's doing something to them. They don't realize it at first and decide to create a band, as there is a contest going on and Liv thinks it would be cool to compete. The more they mess with the instruments, the more it seems that Marv forgets about aliens, but soon realizes something isn't right, and with Liv's help, he has to help his friends who seem a bit possessed by the instruments. Soon, something happens that could be out of this world. 

This trilogy was a lot of fun; I really enjoyed the characters. I admit at times Marv's obsession with people being aliens could get a little annoying, but after a while I just sort of got used to it. I think the first two are lighter on the sci-fi than the third one, which is why it felt different to me. I think all three have a slight spooky element in them and some light violence. It was nothing that was graphic, but mainly what might spook kids. One thing about book three I didn't care for was that Liv carried crystals with her, which were supposed to be what helped Marv fight being possessed himself, and I just do believe in that stuff, so it's a me thing. 

The conclusion to this trilogy was very good, and it has to do with Marv and his alien obsession, so I can't really say much about it, but I thought it was a good way to conclude things.

Overall, this was a fun middle-grade trilogy that would be perfect for this time of the year! 

The series gets 4 stars!

Two Bloggers One Series ~ Track of the Cat (Anna Pigeon #1)

 

Barb wanted to try the Anna Pigeon series, and I said, "Sure, why not?" Now you can see what we thought. After checking out what I thought, go over to Booker T's Farm and see Barb's thoughts.

Anna Pigeon has fled New York and her memories to find work as a ranger in the country’s national parks. In the remote backcountry of West Texas, however, she discovers murder and violence. Fellow park ranger Sheila Drury is mysteriously killed, presumably by a mountain lion. But the deep claw marks Anna finds across Drury’s throat and the paw prints surrounding the body are too perfect to be real.

So, Anna Pigeon works on the Law Enforcement side of national parks, and while out in the park where she is currently at, she finds a fellow park ranger; it kind of looks like she might have been attacked by a mountain lion, but the more Anna looks into things, the more she starts to think that maybe she was murdered. 

And that is about all I remember of this book because I was bored and I didn't like Anna, and so I think I didn't pay much attention to the audiobook I was listening to. 

Anna was just weird; it was like she was soulless or something. She just doesn't work for me as a character, and so I didn't care. Then she starts being friends with Sheila's female lover as if she couldn't possibly be a suspect; it was just weird.

The book also kept doing flashbacks because Anna is dealing with the loss of her husband, and I would get so confused. 

The latter half of the book wasn't too bad as the mystery starts to unfold; I had the person who did it on my radar, so it wasn't really surprising who it was, but still that part was decent. 

I was told the books get better, and I am not opposed to trying book two, so we shall see. I just wasn't that impressed with this first book.

2.75 rounded up to 3 on Goodreads

Two Bloggers One Book ~ Swamp Monster Massacre by Hunter Shea

 So, I got this one for my birthday, and it fits a challenge I am doing on Booktube, so I, of course, asked my buddy Barb if she wanted to read it, as we both like Hunter Shea. :) After you read what I say, go check out her thoughts at Booker T's Farm!

The swamp belongs to them. Humans are only prey.

Deep in the overgrown swamps of Florida, where humans rarely dare to enter, lives a race of creatures long thought to be only the stuff of legend. They walk upright but are stronger, taller, and more brutal than any man. And when a small boat of tourists, held captive by a fleeing criminal, accidentally kills one of the swamp dwellers’ young, the creatures are filled with a terrifyingly human emotion—a merciless lust for vengeance that will paint the trees red with blood.

So, this is pretty much your basic creature feature and just a fun romp. This man named Rooster had an incident at the beginning with a guy he was trying to get some guns from and ends up on the run from guys with guns. A tourist boat going down the Everglades is parked right where Rooster is going, so he jumps on and holds it up, taking it over. Some of the captives are not going to let me get away with things, but things go a bit wrong, and they end up slamming the river boat into some trees and might have run right over a young skunk ape. This doesn't make the other skunk apes very happy. 

So, then it's pretty much a fight for survival or get ripped apart, and it's not easy to get around because there are also alligators to look out for. So, it was a fun creature feature, but there was just this one thing towards the end that knocked it down a half star, as it was unnecessary and didn't do anything to the story. 

If you like creature books that are just quick and kind of cheesy, then this one is for you. :) 

3.5 stars

Two Bloggers One Book ~ Night of the Crabs

So, I wanted to read a retro killer animal book and Barb was nice enough to read it with me. After you see what I thought head on over and see what Barb thought at Booker T's Farm.

The Welsh coast basks in summer tranquility, then the drownings begin... Not until the monstrous crustaceans crawl ashore, their pincers poised for destruction, does the world understand the threat it faces....

So as in every good killer animal type book it starts off with a young couple out for a good time on the beach of Shell Island in the UK. The girl goes in the water, but something happens and the guy goes in after her and neither are seen again.

Professor Cliff Davenport was expecting his nephew and his girlfriend to show up but when they don't, he starts to get worried. He soon finds out that the nephew's car is found out at Shell Island but no trace of them. Cliff decides to look around, and he sees something unusual and hard to believe. He is sure he sees markings that crabs make from their legs, but they are very large, with no proof nobody would believe him as the water will wash them away. 

I forget exactly why but he ends up meeting this lady named Pat, I think others at the dining area was putting them together as they were both single. Pat was a widow, and well they hit it off rather quickly. He tells her about his missing nephew and the next day they head out to see if they can find any proof of large crabs. While waiting to see if they see anything they have time for a bit of roll on the beach *insert eye roll here* Then they go looking and do find more markings and it is indeed crabs. More people go missing but how to get anyone to believe them.

Cliff finally gets a military friend to believe him or at least listen to him, but it wasn't till the military base gets attacked by the giant crabs that people really start believing him. The crabs are getting more and more active and a town is attacked. How do you get rid of giant crabs!? 

Well, I guess you would have to read the book...lol. 

It was your typical retro killer animal type book; it was cheesy but fun. The instalove/lust wasn't needed, and for a short book more than one sex scene was really not needed. They never really say how all of a sudden there are giant crabs. It's like one day none, next day giant crabs! I needed to know and it was weird nobody else seemed to care, just wanted to get rid of them. 

3.25 stars

Week in Review #144

The Week in Review is where I combine Stacking the Shelves, The Sunday Post and It's Monday! What are you reading?  If you have never joined in on these meme's you can check them out by clicking on the meme and it will take you to the host blog.

This week I had a bit of Birthday fun as my b-day was on the 11th but didn't celebrate till the 15th and we went to a bookstore and out to eat. It was a tiring day but fun. Other than that not a whole lot happened but staying in and out of the heat and it seems like this coming week will be worse...blah.

Hope you all have a great day and happy reading!

What I read:

• Companion to Danger - This was okay, kind of gothic in tone at least I think so and I was curious about if the old lady was who she thought she was but with these old romances the romance isn't really much at all...lol.
• Case of the Deadly Desperados - First book in this series, about P.K. Pinkerton and his hijinks and it was fun.
• Partners in Crime - This was the first mashup between J.P. Beaumont and Joanna Brady and at first, I wasn't sure how it was going to go but it ended up being a pretty good mystery and the two started working together instead of bumping heads.

Currently Reading

• Night of the Crabs - Typical killer animal type story and it's been okay. I am 40% into the ebook.
• We Wish You a Murderous Christmas - Second book in the Year-round Christmas series and it's going okay. I think I am sort of losing my love for cozy mysteries a little. I think I am around 59% into the audiobook.

What are you reading?

Two Bloggers One Series ~ All is Bright by RaeAnne Thayne (Hope's Crossing #8)

 Hope's Crossing has come to an end. It's been a great series, and I have enjoyed reading it with Barb. After checking out what I thought head on over to Booker T's Farm and see what Barb thought. 

Return to Hope’s Crossing this Christmas in New York Times bestselling author RaeAnne Thayne’s latest heartwarming story of matchmaking at the holidays!

Sage McKnight is an ambitious young architect working at her father’s firm who takes on her most challenging client in Mason Tucker. The former pro baseball player is still healing from the physical and emotional scars after a plane crash left him a wheelchair-using single dad, and he’s determined not to let anyone breach his emotional defenses. Sage knows her work on Mason’s new home in Hope’s Crossing is her best work yet, and she won’t let her grumpy client prevent her from showcasing her work personally.

With Sage’s gift for taking broken things and making them better, the matchmaking talent of the quirky locals and a generous sprinkling of Christmas cheer, Mason doesn’t stand a chance against the power of this magical holiday season.

My Thoughts:

So, I am guessing that when this series originally ended in 2016 there was a couple of side characters that were teenagers that everyone wanted to see a story from and so RaeAnne Thayne came back to Hope's Crossing and gave them that story in 2022 and that is what we have here. So, it's kind of different that the others but still has that cozy feel you get from one of her books. 

So the author put to romances in one story and gave it the POV treatment. So, we get different POV's and they alternate between Sage and Mason who are the main story and then we get Taryn who is struggling with wanting a romance with the guy who has been her best friend since they were teens. 

So, in Hope's Crossing we know that Sage was the eldest daughter of one of the characters from a previous book and she has gone through a few things and I hate to give things away in case someone wants to read this series. She has gone to college and is not an architect and is working on a project in Hope's Crossing for a ex-baseball player, Mason. Mason was in an accident that killed his wife and he is in a wheelchair and has moved to Hope's Crossing with his young daughter looking for a fresh start. 

Sage's passion is making homes for those that have any type of disability because of something that happened to her friend Tayrn back when they were younger. So, she loved putting together this home for Mason, but he doesn't want her to showcase his place on your channel (can't remember if it was like YouTube or something else). They bump heads over it a time or two and have some great banter and their romance was pretty good though at times I wanted to smack Mason. 

Then there is Taryn who after an accident that happens in book one which I won't go into she has had a rough go of things, relearning a lot of things, walking, and even her speech at times. She was friends with Charlie, but after the accident they really became good friends and he has a heavy burden he carries because of the accident that still bothers him now. Taryn has been in love with Charlie for a long time and she feels like this is her last chance to change his mind about them or she will have to try and move on. I really wanted to smack Charlie a lot...lol. 

Anyway, the two stories go together really well and I liked how the author went back and gave us follow up stories for Sage and Taryn as we get to know them well throughout the series.

4.25 stars

Week in Review #143

The Week in Review is where I combine Stacking the Shelves, The Sunday Post and It's Monday! What are you reading?  If you have never joined in on these meme's you can check them out by clicking on the meme and it will take you to the host blog.

Okay, so I have been very sporadic in posting and going to try and get back into the groove, so we shall see.

I love summer but I am a little over the HOT, I like it when it's warm, but this extreme heat is not fun. Still hate winter more.

Well, I really don't have anything much to day...lol. Hope you all have a great week!

What I read:

• Squirreled Away - Cute little chapter book. First book in a series. 
• Bad Little Falls - Third book in the Mike Bowdich series and it was okay, but the MC is a little annoying at times. Makes dumb decisions. 
• Nebraska! - Second book in the Wagons West series and it was very good! Love a good retro read!
• All is Bright - The last book in the Hope's Crossing series and I enjoyed it. 

Currently Reading

• Companion to Danger - I am enjoying this one so far, it has a gothic romance feel to it. I am on page 68 of 156 on the print book. 
• Night of the Crabs - So far this one is okay, but I haven't gotten into it enough to know if I am going to like it. It had the normal start to a killer animal type story so only time will tell. I am 20% into the ebook.

Hope you all read some good books!

Two Bloggers One Series ~ Wild Iris Ridge by RaeAnne Thayne (Hope's Crossing #6)

 

I really enjoy small town romances, and this is one of my favorite authors so it's been fun reading this series with Barb. Once you see what I thought please go over to Booker T's Farm and see what Barb thought.

Lucy Drake and Brendan Caine have only one thing in common…

And it's likely to tear them apart. Because it was Brendan's late wife, Jessie—and Lucy's best friend—who'd brought them together in the first place. And since Jessie's passing, Brendan's been distracted by his two little ones…and the memory of an explosive kiss with Lucy years before his marriage. Still, he'll steer clear of her. She's always been trouble with a capital T.

Lucy couldn't wait to shed her small-town roots for the big city. But now that she's back in Hope's Crossing to take care of the Queen Anne home her late aunt has left her, she figures seeing Brendan Caine again is no big deal. After all, she'd managed to resist the handsome fire chief once before, but clearly the embers of their attraction are still smoldering….

I really like this series it's always fun to get to know the characters in the town of Hope's Crossing. 

Lucy Drake used to live in Hope's Crossing when she was younger with her aunt and cousin Jessie but left to pursue her dreams. Now she is moving back to the home her aunt left her to try and figure out a new path because things haven't gone so well. She has managed not coming back to avoid people like Brendan who was married to her cousin who has also passed away. 

Lucy had fell for Brendan a long time ago and then he married her cousin so there is some tension there. Brendan has his hands full with two young kids and being the fire chief. He ends up spending a lot of time with Lucy where sparks fly, but he keeps pushing her away. She gets mad because of past hurts, etc. 

Hope's Crossing has a great cast of characters, as it still has the ones we already know about but adds new ones with each book. In this one I really liked the two kids, even though I am normally not that big on kids in romances. I also really liked Dermot who is Brendan's father, he has been in some other stories, but he was really fun in this one. 

Overall, this one was good though I thought at times the romance was awkward and some of the things towards the ending a bit annoying, but it ends well. 

4 stars

Week in Review #142

The Week in Review is where I combine Stacking the Shelves, The Sunday Post and It's Monday! What are you reading?  If you have never joined in on these meme's you can check them out by clicking on the meme and it will take you to the host blog.

It's been a while since I did one of these, mainly as I keep forgetting to do them on Saturdays and don't have time on Sundays before church to write one up. Anyway, not a lot has happened in the time I have been gone. :) This past week we have had a lot of rain, and I am tired of rain and could use a few dry days as I need to mow.

This week I watched a lot of killer animal type movies as I know it's strange but I find them relaxing. I watched mostly ones I have seen before like Killer Crocodile, Mega Python vs Gateriod, but I did watch a few new to me ones like Robo Croc which was pretty good, but the worst one was Bears on a Ship, that was so dumb, you could tell it was someone in a costume. This movie is newer, I think 2025, even being a indie film, I would think they could do better. I will stick with my older movies and the rubber Croc over any new killer animal films.

Well, that is all I have to chat about so hope y'all have a great week and happy reading!

What I read:

• Beast Business - This was a novella in the Hidden Legacy series and it was good.
• Last Kids on Earth and the Forbidden Fortress - Book 8 in the series and really fun.
• Night of the Vam-Wolf-Zom - Last book in a fun little series. 
• Train to Impossible Places - First book in a series and I thought it was fun.

Currently Reading:

• The Widow Spy - Historical fiction about the first Pinkerton female and it's not the greatest.
• The Captain's Clue - Second book in the Parable Port series and so far it's fun, but only around 19% in.

What did you read last week?

Two Bloggers One Book ~ Stage Fright by Wendy Parris

 So today we have a middle grade book as it's Middle Grade May and so Barb and I decided to read one together. After you see what I thought, go on over to Booker T's Farm and see what she thought. :) 

A new locked room scary story about twelve-year-old Avery, who plans a séance at a deserted theater to bond with her friends, only to realize they’re locked inside with someone—or something—else. This spine tingling read is perfect for fans of Katherine Arden and Lindsay Currie! When Avery returns to her hometown after moving away a year earlier, she is hoping to jump back into her friend group as if nothing’s changed. Unfortunately, new interests, secret crushes, and changing dynamics get in her way. To reunite her BFFs, she suggests they host a séance at an abandoned theater that was the site of a horrible tragedy. What starts as a fun outing, soon becomes a fight for survival after the group gets locked in…and discovers they’re not alone.

Avery has moved away and so she is not as close to her old friends as she was, but she is coming back to her hometown and is excited to hang out with her friends but even though it's only been a year everything seems a bit different. Her friends were all acting different, first Paige didn't even show up with the two boys to pick her up, but the two boys (I can't remember their names) didn't seem to be getting along like they use too. 

They used to have a detective club and so Avery thought it would be something to bring them back together and suggested doing a seance in an abandoned theater as a kid was killed there and they thought it might be interesting to see if they could see a ghost. 

Once they get in the theater they find more than they bargained for as not only is there a ghost but maybe something much more sinister and it wants to keep them all there! 

I thought this was a fun middle grade spooky books, not to spooky but has enough to give kids a fright. The characters learned a lot as even in that year they had grown a bit apart and started new hobbies, had other friends. The main character learned that she needed to also make new friends at her new home and she could still be friends with her old friends.

4 stars

Two Bloggers One Book ~ Bats by William W. Johnstone

Today we have a fun killer animal book! We read this in April as I participate in something called Old School April. Once you read what I thought, go on over to Barb's blog at Booker T's Farm to see what she thought. :) 

“Bats” is a fast‑paced horror thriller about a massive swarm of vampire bats invading the southern United States and developing a deadly taste for human blood.

The novel follows the terrifying arrival of bats migrating north from Central and South America. At first, they appear as scattered groups, but soon they gather into thousands, forming a black cloud of predators sweeping across wetlands and small towns. As the attacks escalate, it becomes clear that these aren’t ordinary animals—the bats have grown aggressive, coordinated, and increasingly fixated on human prey.

So I love a good killer animal book, but you never know what you're going to get when you start in on one. I am happy to say that this one was pretty decent. It's from 1993 so it probably has a few things that some people might not like but that never bothers me. 

Johnny is an ex-military man was pretty high up in intelligence and has settled down in a Louisiana parish where he has built himself a kind of fortress type house that nobody is going to get into without him knowing as he does have a few terrorist organizations that would love to get ahold of him. He kind of comes off as a man who is extremely hardened and, in a way, he is but he also has a soft spot in there too. One of the things I really liked is how well he took care of his dogs. 

One day, his dogs were acting really weird and he heard a weird noise outside. He didn't think much of it until later when heading to town he finds a dead cow on the side of the road, but it wasn't just dead it was drained and had a bunch of bites on it. A trooper was coming by, and he flagged him down and this is how Johnny gets involved with a battle with Bats. He realizes these are not ordinary bats and he goes about protecting his home, making a wire mess area outside for his dogs to do their business and the bats can't get to them. (Great pet owner!) 

Some scientists show up, and a veterinarian named Blair, who ends up staying at Johnny's. They get video of the bats when try attacking Johnny's house and these bats are not ordinary bats, they are larger, smarter and just plain creepy. Before they would find out how to kill them, they decimated several parishes, or at least those who refused to evacuate when told about the danger. 

A lot of government bureaucracy and things that would just drive you mad happened while they tried to figure out how to get rid of these bats. It was filled with a lot of blood, gore and carnage and was a medium paced book. My real big complaint about this book was that it took to long to end. There was a point when you thought oh this is the end and then it kept going and it was at this point where it was just the author doing as much damage to people and so more blood, gore and carnage. 

I really liked the characters in this one, Johnny though hardened and said he would never marry anyone, just sort of fell into a steady routine with Blair as she stayed there and you knew she wasn't leaving. A couple displaced kids also end up staying there. The cops were not stupid and worked well with Johnny in trying to get rid of the bats. Only stupid people were the ones who wouldn't listen, but they didn't last long. :) Now, there were animals killed in this book, but it was expected. It kind of gets a pass because the two dogs of Johnny's were so well taken care off.

4 stars

Blog Tour ~ Murder at the Highland Games

I was given this book to review from Netgalley and Bookouture for a fair and honest review.

When a fun day out in the Scottish Highlands turns fatal, there’s only one solution: call for Ally McKinley!

It’s the annual Locharran Highland Games and Ally McKinley has never seen her little village so busy or excited. Everyone’s enjoying the Scottish dancing, the bagpipes, and cheering the competitors on. But there’s a hitch in the proceedings when champion challenger Archie Armstrong drops dead in the middle of tossing the caber. Rushing to the scene, Ally is the first to spot that Archie’s death was no accident – this was murder!

Ally flings herself into a new investigation and soon discovers that more than one person may have had a murderous motive, including some of the current residents of her cosy little guesthouse. Patti, Archie’s glamourous wife, seems intent on acting like the perfect widow, but rumours of infidelity have been flying. Is her performance too good? Could her uncle, cranky gamekeeper Angus, have finally snapped, furious at Archie’s treatment of his niece? Or was it one of the frustrated local competitors, desperate to end Archie’s winning streak?

Determined to crack the case and fueled by more than one piece of her famous shortbread, Ally begins to narrow down her list of possible culprits, but is thrown for a loop when her chief suspect is found dead by the loch, a mysterious and threatening note clutched in their fingers. With a killer at large, can Ally finally uncover the truth? Or, as the sun sets over the highlands, will this game be her last?

I really like this series. I love the fact that the main character is a senior, but she doesn't act old. Not to say that sometimes she doesn't feel her age, but she just doesn't act elderly. She is also not overly silly or anything like that.

So in this one there are some foreigners from Canada who are visiting as one of them is a champion in the games from Canada and wanted to compete in Scotland. He is naturally hated because he isn't from Scotland, so it wasn't surprising that he ends up murder at the games, but would someone murder because he was winning? 

Of course, Ally is hosting the Canadian family at her B&B, so she is naturally curious and a bit invested in trying to figure out who might have done it from the competitors to the family. Another family member is murdered, and it seems that maybe someone has it out for the family. 

I think one of the things I liked about this one is that I felt that Ally was so busy with trying to help the family that she really didn't do a lot of sleuthing, a lot of what she found out just kind of came natural and she really didn't figure things out till it was a bit too late, kind of on accident. I really don't like when sleuths are to overly nosy or it seems like that is all they do and they are never at their actual work. So that was refreshing. I like that the detective doesn't mind her helping a bit with things by asking questions. I really like Ross her boyfriend too. 

The mystery was decent, but I figured things out even the motive so maybe it was to easy to figure out or I am just getting better at figuring them out...lol. A few times I found myself asking Ally why she wasn't thinking about this or that as it was on my mind...lol. It was kind of fun to find that I was right, so it didn't really lessen the enjoyment or anything. 

I think if you like cozy mysteries this is a fun series and I would highly recommend.

4 stars

Dee MacDonald

Dee MacDonald grew up on an isolated farm in the Scottish Highlands. An only child, she’d often get fed up of reading and listening to a crackling radio, so her mother encouraged her to draw and to write ‘wee stories’, which she’d sew together into little books.

As an adult, her working life took her all over the globe as an air stewardess, into the world of TV, where she worked in Market Research and Sales, and then into hospitality, running B&Bs for over ten years.

After first finding her love of writing as a little girl, Dee became a published author of cosy crime and women’s fiction in her seventies. She lives by the sea in Cornwall with her husband, and has one son and two grandsons.

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