Review: Overgrowth by Mira Grant

Title: Overgrowth

Author: Mira Grant

Genre: Adult, sci-fi, horror

Publication date: May 6th 2025

Published by: Tor Nightfire

Source: eARC for review from publishers via Netgalley

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Synopsis: Day of the Triffids meets Little Shop of Horrors in this smart, charming, harrowing alien invasion story about being human, by a Hugo-award winning author.

Since she was three years old, Anastasia Miller has been telling anyone who would listen that she's an alien disguised as a human being, and that the armada that left her on Earth is coming for her. Since she was three years old, no one has believed her.

Now, with an alien signal from the stars being broadcast around the world, humanity is finally starting to realize that it's already been warned, and it may be too late. The invasion is coming, Stasia's biological family is on the way to bring her home, and very few family reunions are willing to cross the gulf of space for just one misplaced child.

What happens when you know what's coming, and just refuse to listen?

My rating: ★★★⯪☆

I have really enjoyed Mina Grant's books, and while I didn't love this one as much as those previous books I've read, I still did end up enjoying it for the most part.

Review: Cold Eternity by S.A. Barnes

Title: Cold Eternity

Author: S.A. Barnes

Genre: Adult, sci-fi, horror

Publication date: April 8th 2025

Published by: Tor Nightfire

Source: eARC from publishers via Netgalley

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Synopsis: Halley is on the run from an interplanetary political scandal that has put a huge target on her back. She heads for what seems like the perfect place to lay low: a gigantic space barge storing the cryogenically frozen bodies of Earth’s most fortunate citizens from more than a century ago...

The cryo program, created by trillionaire tech genius Zale Winfeld, is long defunct, and the AI hologram "hosts," ghoulishly created in the likeness of Winfeld’s three adult children, are glitchy. The ship feels like a crypt, and the isolation gets to Halley almost immediately. She starts to see figures crawling in the hallways, and there’s a constant scraping, slithering, and rattling echoing in the vents.

It’s not long before Halley realizes she may have gotten herself trapped in an even more dangerous situation than the one she was running from...

My rating: ★★★★☆

I have really enjoyed the novels by S.A. Barnes. They aren’t quite 5-star reads for me, but they are definitely enjoyable and deliver on both the sci-fi and horror aspects! Plus, the mystery in this book was intriguing and I enjoyed trying to unravel it! And two pages into this book and I was already loving the premise of it as well! Halley has had it rough and accepts a shady job as a caretaker/security on this sort-of abandoned spaceship. And I say sort of because this ship holds a bunch of cryogenically frozen bodies.

Review: Find Him Where You Left Him Dead (Death Games #1) by Kristen Simmons

Title: Find Him Where You Left Him Dead

Series: Death Games #1

Author: Kristen Simmons

Genre: YA, horror, Japanese mythology

Publication date: September 2023

Published by: Tor Teen

Source: Borrowed from library

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Synopsis: Four years ago, five kids started a game. Only four survived.

Now, at the end of their senior year of high school, the survivors—Dax, Maddy, Emerson, and Owen—have reunited for one strange and terrible reason: they’ve been summoned by the ghost of Ian, the friend they left for dead.

Together they return to the tunnel where their friendship ended with one goal: find Ian and bring him home. So they restart the deadly game they never finished—an innocent card-matching challenge called Meido. A game without instructions.

As soon as they begin, they're dragged out of their reality and into an eerie hellscape of Japanese underworlds, more horrifying than even the darkest folktales that Owen's grandmother told him. There, they meet Shinigami, an old wise woman who explains the rules:

They have one night to complete seven challenges or all of them, Ian included, will be stuck in this world forever.

Once inseparable, the survivors now can’t stand each other, but the challenges demand they work together, think quickly, and make sacrifices—blood, clothes, secrets, memories, and worse.

And once again, not everyone will make it out of Meido alive.

My rating: ★★★★☆

I enjoyed this book more than I was anticipating! Listen, horror books can be hit or miss, but this one was definitely a hit!

Review: Revenant-X (Red Space #2) by David Wellington

Title: Revenant-X

Series: Red Space #2

Previous book in this series: Paradise-1

Author: David Wellington

Genre: Adult, sci-fi, horror

Publication date: November 5th 2024

Published by: Orbit

Source: eARC from publishers via Netgalley

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Synopsis: FEAR THE DARK.

The crew of the Artemis - led by Firewatch agent Alexandra Petrova - have survived the furious onslaught of the Basilisk and broken through the space blockade around Paradise-1. Now they can pursue their original mission and investigate why Earth's first deep space colony has fallen silent.

The answer seems the site is deserted.

Or so they think.

Some of the colonists remain. They're no longer human.

Petrova and her crew now face a desperate struggle to survive as they attempt to uncover the mystery of what has befallen the colony.

If they fail, the darkness that has fallen over Paradise-1 will consume them.

My rating: ★★★★☆

I have been waiting (im)patiently for this book ever since I finished reading Paradise-1 back in 2023. I really enjoyed that book! I loved the blend of horror and sci-fi, but that cliffhanger-ish ending was brutal! I was so excited to continue the story and Revenant-X did not disappoint!

Review: Symbiont (Parasitology #2) by Mira Grant

Title: Symbiont

Series: Mira Grant

Previous book in this series: Parasite

Author: Parasitology #2

Genre: Adult, sci-fi, horror

Publication date: November 2014

Published by: Orbit

Source: Borrowed form library

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Synopsis: THE ENEMY IS INSIDE US.

The SymboGen designed tapeworms were created to relieve humanity of disease and sickness. But the implants in the majority of the world's population began attacking their hosts, turning them into a ravenous horde.

Now those who do not appear to be afflicted are being gathered for quarantine as panic spreads, but Sal and her companions must discover how the tapeworms are taking over their hosts, what their eventual goal is, and how they can be stopped.

My rating: ★★★★☆

I always swore that I was going to do great things with my life, things that would change the world in a way that could never be undone. Well, I guess I got my wish. I brought an end to the Age of Mankind.
-Dr. Cale

I really enjoyed this sequel to Parasite! I'm just really enjoying the unique concept and the good mix of sci-fi and horror. Although the concept of the implanted tapeworm trying to take over its human host is unique (to me at least), the end result is not, but that's not a bad thing! This book was giving zombie apocalypse, except instead of the undead we got parasites, and honestly, I was here for it! I liked it!

Review: Parasite (Parasitology #1) by Mira Grant

Title: Parasite

Series: Parasitology #1

Author: Mira Grant

Genre: Adult, sci-fi, horror

Publication date: October 2013

Published by: Orbit

Source: Borrowed form library

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Synopsis: A decade in the future, humanity thrives in the absence of sickness and disease.

We owe our good health to a humble parasite - a genetically engineered tapeworm developed by the pioneering SymboGen Corporation. When implanted, the tapeworm protects us from illness, boosts our immune system - even secretes designer drugs. It's been successful beyond the scientists' wildest dreams. Now, years on, almost every human being has a SymboGen tapeworm living within them.

But these parasites are getting restless. They want their own lives...and will do anything to get them.

My rating: ★★★★☆

Mira Grant is an author I am very happy to have found because I just really like the stories she writes. Plus the blend of horror and sci-fi is SO good! And this book was no different! I really enjoyed it! It was intriguing and genuinely horrifying 😰

Review: Sea Sick (Ravaged World Trilogy #1) by Iain Rob Wright

Title: Sea Sick

Series: Ravaged World Trilogy #1

Author: Iain Rob Wright

Genre: Adult, horror, mystery

Publication date: December 2019

Published by: SalGad Publishing Group

Source: Gift card purchase

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Synopsis: A deadly virus has been unleashed aboard a passenger ship.
Soon the ship will be overrun with blood and death.
There's nowhere to escape.
But there are heroes onboard too.

Heroes like Jack Wardsley, a disgraced police officer with nothing left to lose, or the mysterious 'Pathwalker,' a stranger with the power to see the the future and alter the passage of time. Saving the passengers onboard will be next to impossible, but they will have no choice but to try. Failure might mean the end of the world.

My rating: ★★★☆☆

I was really looking forward to reading this book—I mean, a time loop during a zombie outbreak on a cruise??

Review: Forbidden Secrets (Fear Street Sagas #3) by R.L. Stine

Title: Forbidden Secrets

Series: Fear Street Sagas #3 (can be read as a standalone)

Author: R.L. Stine

Genre: YA, horror, mystery thriller

Publication date: September 1996

Published by: Archway Paperback

Source: Purchased paperback

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Synopsis: The dark power of the Fear family consumes all those connected with it. No one can escape the evil of the family's curse—not even the Fears themselves.

Savannah Madison doesn't believe that. She marries Tyler Fear. But then she goes with him to Blackrose Manor. That's when the deaths begin. That's when she learns his terrible secret.

My rating: ★★★☆☆

I have been reading Fear Street books since I was in middle school and I remember that this was one of the first books I ever read. I didn’t remember any of the story when I read this now, but I distinctly remembered that cover.

Review: House of Whispers (Fear Street Sagas #2) by R.L. Stine

Title: House of Whispers

Series: Fear Street Sagas #2 (Can be read as a standalone)

Author: R.L. Stine

Genre: YA, horror, mystery thriller

Publication date: June 1996

Published by: Archway Paperback

Source: Purchased paperback

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Synopsis: Welcome to the house of Fear.

The dark power of the Fear family consumes all those connected with it, The Fears. Those they love—and hate. The entire town of Shadyside. All are tainted forever by the evil of the family’s curse. No one can escape.

Amy Pierce knows nothing of the terrifying Fear history when she arrives for a visit with Simon and Angelica Fear. Their New Orleans mansion is beautiful—but Amy senses something evil there. Something that watches her. Waits for her.

My rating: ★★★★☆

It would not matter to Angelica that Amy was part of her own family. If Angelica found out the truth about Amy, she would kill her.
Because Angelica was evil. Pure evil.

I love the Fear family lore. It’s so interesting and often evil. One of my favorite families to follow has always been Simon and Angelica Fear, so I was very happy to see that Angelica played a big role in this book! We first met Angelica in the Fear Street Saga trilogy where we saw that even before she married into the Fear family, she herself had a little bit of magic at her hands. Well, in this book we meet her cousin Amy who may or may not have an an affinity for magic as well. I thought this aspect of the book was SO interesting! When I first read about Angelica in the trilogy, I was a little surprised to learn that she already possessed magic, so it was nice to learn a little more about the Pierce family.

Review: Parasite by Darcy Coates

Title: Parasite

Author: Darcy Coates

Genre: Adult, sci-fi, horror

Publication date: August 2016

Published by: Black Owl Books

Source: Borrowed from library

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Synopsis: They're closer than you think...

A guard discovers an unusual lifeform on her remote moon outpost. She disregards protocol to investigate it, with catastrophic consequences.

The parasitic alien wears its victims' skins and adopts their personalities. It's a perfect disguise, and allows the creature to spread without being detected. By the time humanity realises it's facing extinction, a third of its six hundred space stations have already gone dark.

As the alien's ruthless progress collapses communication networks, wipes out defences, and leaves hundreds of stations to fend for themselves, a handful of remarkable individuals must find a way to battle the greatest threat the universe has ever encountered.

My rating: ★★★☆☆

...it looks like your roommate, your best friend, or even your child. It is a parasite; it doesn't kill its hosts—not completely, at least—but it absorbs them and becomes them. It can mimic their face, their speech, their expressions, and mannerisms. It even takes their memories. There could be one standing beside you this minute, and you wouldn't know...

This is my second book by Darcy Coates and I gotta say, I’m enjoying her books! I do wish this book was a little scarier than it was, but overall it satisfied my craving for sci-fi horror.

Review: 2389 by Iain Rob Wright

Title: 2389

Author: Iain Rob Wright

Genre: Adult, horror, sci-fi

Publication date: March 2015

Published by: SalGad Publishing Group

Source: Gift card purchase

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Synopsis: Grand Galaxies is the most expensive amusement park ever created, built on the surface of the moon. For a decade now, rich families and honeymooning couples have gone there to have the time of their lives, and no one has ever returned disappointed. But communication with the moon has been lost. Someone needs to go up there and see what’s wrong.

Commander ‘Boss’ Sharman is the man for the job, SABA’s most respected leader, but he might end up regretting his decision to bring along his daughter, Lexi, for the mission. Something has gone very wrong at Grand Galaxies, and once Boss and his team travel the 238,900 miles to the moon, they might find that there’s no way of getting back home again.

GETTING THERE IS THE EASY PART...

My rating: ★★★★☆

This book was so good! The thing that caught my attention about this one from the start was the setting. It’s set in this amusement park on the freaking moon!

Review: How to Survive Your Murder by Danielle Valentine

Title: How to Survive Your Murder

Author: Danielle Valentine

Genre: YA, mystery thriller

Publication date: August 2022

Published by: Razorbill

Source: Borrowed from library

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Synopsis: Alice Lawrence is the sole witness in her sister’s murder trial.

And in the year since Claire’s death, Alice’s life has completely fallen apart. Her parents have gotten divorced, she’s moved into an apartment that smells like bologna, and she is being forced to face her sister’s killer and a courtroom full of people who doubt what she saw in the corn maze a year prior.

Claire was an all-American girl, beautiful and bubbly, and a theater star. Alice was a nerd who dreamed of becoming a forensic pathologist and would rather stay at home to watch her favorite horror movies than party. Despite their differences, they were bonded by sisterhood and were each other’s best friends.

Until Claire was taken away from her.

On the first day of the murder trial, as Alice prepares to give her testimony, she is knocked out by a Sidney Prescott look-alike in the courthouse bathroom. When she wakes up, it is Halloween night a year earlier, the same day Claire was murdered. Alice has until midnight to save her sister and find the real killer before he claims another victim.

My rating: ★★★☆☆

If you don't come with me, I might die.
Those were the last words my sister ever said to me.

I have not had very good luck with these sorts of horror books where the protagonist is a huge horror movie fan. They always claim to be experts in the genre and then fail spectacularly at being a final girl when being put in that position. Maybe it’s because they’re in the middle of all the chaos, but it’s just so annoying how dumb they are. And the protagonist in this was no different.

Review: This World Is Not Yours by Kemi Ashing-Giwa

Title: This World Is Not Yours

Author: Kemi Ashing-Giwa

Genre: Adult, sci-fi, horror

Publication date: September 10th 2024

Published by: Tor Nightfire

Source: eARC from publisher via Netgalley

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Synopsis: This World is Not Yours by USA Today bestseller Kemi Ashing-Giwa is the perfect blend of S.A. Barnes' space horror and Cassandra Khaw's beautiful but macabre worlds. An action-packed, inventive novella about a toxic polycule consumed by jealousy and their attempts to survive on a hostile planet.

After fleeing her controlling and murderous family with her fiancée Vinh, Amara embarks on a colonization project, New Belaforme, along with her childhood friend, Jesse.

The planet, beautiful and lethal, produces the Gray, a “self-cleaning” mechanism that New Belaforme’s scientists are certain only attacks invasive organisms, consuming them. Humans have been careful to do nothing to call attention to themselves until a rival colony wakes the Gray.

As Amara, Vinh, and Jesse work to carve out a new life together, each is haunted by past betrayals that surface, expounded by the need to survive the rival colony and the planet itself.

There’s more than one way to be eaten alive.

My rating: ★★★☆☆

This world is as brutal and unforgiving as it is beautiful.

In my neverending quest to find some good sci-fi horror, I came across this one. And I was so excited I stumbled upon it because right in the synopsis it compared it to the space horror novels by S.A. Barnes, novels that I have really enjoyed. However, I didn’t end up loving this novella as much as I thought I would.

Review: The Last Astronaut by David Wellington

Title: The Last Astronaut

Author: David Wellington

Genre: Adult, horror, sci-fi

Publication date: July 2019

Published by: Orbit

Source: Borrowed

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Synopsis: Mission Commander Sally Jansen is Earth’s last astronaut–and last hope–in this gripping near-future thriller where a mission to make first contact becomes a terrifying struggle for survival in the depths of space.

Sally Jansen was NASA’s leading astronaut, until a mission to Mars ended in disaster. Haunted by her failure, she lives in quiet anonymity, convinced her days in space are over.

She’s wrong.

A large alien object has entered the solar system on a straight course toward Earth. It has made no attempt to communicate and is ignoring all incoming transmissions.

Out of time and out of options, NASA turns to Jansen. For all the dangers of the mission, it’s the shot at redemption she always longed for.

But as the object slowly begins to reveal its secrets, one thing becomes horribly clear: the future of humanity lies in Jansen’s hands.

My rating: ★★★☆☆

I really loved this author’s other book Paradise-1 so I was really looking forward to reading more from him! Even though I didn’t love this as much as Paradise-1, I still liked it. I have been in the mood for sci-fi horror, and he really delivers!

So there’s this large object in space headed straight for Earth, an object that may or may not be a spaceship that has not attempted return communication, and an object that may or may not be alien in nature...

Review: Slasher Girls & Monster Boys by April Genevieve Tucholke

Title: Slasher Girls & Monster Boys

Authors: April Genevieve Tucholke, Stefan Bachmann, Leigh Bardugo, Kendare Blake, A. G. Howard, Jay Kristoff, Marie Lu, Jonathan Maberry, Danielle Paige, Carrie Ryan, Megan Shepherd, Nova Ren Suma, McCormick Templeman, April Genevieve Tucholke, Cat Winters

Genre: YA, horror

Publication date: August 2015

Published by: Dial Books

Source: Purchased hardcover

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Synopsis: For fans of Stephen King, Neil Gaiman, Lois Duncan, and Daphne Du Maurier comes a powerhouse anthology featuring some of the best writers of YA thrillers and horror.

A host of the smartest young adult authors come together in this collection of scary stories and psychological thrillers curated by Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea’s April Genevieve Tucholke.

Each story draws from a classic tale or two—sometimes of the horror genre, sometimes not—to inspire something new and fresh and terrifying. There are no superficial scares here; these are stories that will make you think even as they keep you on the edge of your seat. From bloody horror to supernatural creatures to unsettling, all-too-possible realism, this collection has something for any reader looking for a thrill.

My rating: ★★★☆☆

Even a monster wants to be loved.

I was excited to read this because I love horror stories and this anthology included some authors that I knew! For these types of books I usually like to touch on every story and say a little about them, but honestly, that seems like a lot of effort for a book I didn’t love.

Review: Into the Drowning Deep (Rolling in the Deep #1) by Mira Grant

Title: Into the Drowning Deep

Series: Rolling in the Deep #1

Prequel novella: Rolling in the Deep

Author: Mira Grant

Genre: Adult, horror

Publication date: November 2017

Published by: Orbit

Source: Borrowed from library

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Synopsis: Seven years ago, the Atargatis set off on a voyage to the Mariana Trench to film a “mockumentary” bringing to life ancient sea creatures of legend. It was lost at sea with all hands. Some have called it a hoax; others have called it a maritime tragedy.

Now, a new crew has been assembled. But this time they’re not out to entertain. Some seek to validate their life’s work. Some seek the greatest hunt of all. Some seek the truth. But for the ambitious young scientist Victoria Stewart this is a voyage to uncover the fate of the sister she lost.

Whatever the truth may be, it will only be found below the waves. But the secrets of the deep come with a price.

My rating: ★★★★☆

Killer mermaids. That’s it. That’s all you need to know. I know I said that about the prequel novella, but it’s still true!

Do I think they found mermaids?
Yes. Of course I do.
And I think the mermaids ate them all.

Review: Rolling in the Deep by Mira Grant

Title: Rolling in the Deep

Series: Rolling in the Deep #0.5

Author: Mira Grant

Genre: Adult, horror

Publication date: April 2015

Published by: Subterranean Press

Source: Gift card purchase

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Synopsis: When the Imagine Network commissioned a documentary on mermaids, to be filmed from the cruise ship Atargatis, they expected what they had always received before: an assortment of eyewitness reports that proved nothing, some footage that proved even less, and the kind of ratings that only came from peddling imaginary creatures to the masses.

They didn't expect actual mermaids. They certainly didn't expect those mermaids to have teeth.

This is the story of the Atargatis, lost at sea with all hands. Some have called it a hoax; others have called it a maritime tragedy. Whatever the truth may be, it will only be found below the bathypelagic zone in the Mariana Trench…and the depths are very good at keeping secrets.

My rating: ★★★★☆

Killer. Mermaids. That is all you need to know going into this.

Review: Frightmares by Eva V. Gibson

Title: Frightmares

Author: Eva V. Gibson

Genre: YA, horror, mystery

Publication date: July 2022

Published by: Underlined

Source: Purchased paperback

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Synopsis: In a Florida tourist trap, a summer acting job turns into a real-life horror show when a cast member turns up dead—then disappears.

Dave is spending his final summer before college working at Frightmares House of Horrors, a struggling haunted house attraction held together by malfunctioning killer clown mannequins, a cheap replica Annabelle doll, and a lot of improvising.

After a particularly disastrous shift ends in an employee walkout, Dave reluctantly takes over a role for his friend, however, he makes a horrifying discovery—a real dead body, hidden on set. But when Dave returns with help, the body is gone.

Though the killer covered their tracks, Dave realizes they must know what he saw. Could he be their next target?

My rating: ★★★★☆

I really enjoyed this book for the most part! I liked the premise and I thought the place is was set in was fun! The haunted house attraction they worked at sounded like absolute chaos and it was just falling apart and it was great!

Review- Behind the Horror: True Stories That Inspired Horror Movies by Lee Mellor

Title: Behind the Horror: True Stories That Inspired Horror Movies

Author: Lee Mellor

Genre: Nonfiction, adult, horror, true crime

Publication date: July 2020

Published by: DK

Source: Borrowed from library

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Synopsis: Uncover the twisted tales that inspired the big screen's greatest screams.

Which case of demonic possession inspired The Exorcist? What horrifying front-page story generated the idea for A Nightmare on Elm Street? Which film was based on the infamous skin-wearing murderer Ed Gein?

Unearth the terrifying and true tales behind some of the scariest Horror movies to ever haunt our screens, including the Enfield poltergeist case that was retold in The Conjuring 2 and the serial killers who inspired Hannibal Lecter in The Silence of the Lambs.

Behind the Horror dissects these and other bizarre tales to reveal haunting real-life stories of abduction, disappearance, murder, and exorcism.

My rating: ★★★★☆

I’ve been really getting into nonfiction books in recent years. One subgenre I discovered I really enjoyed is nonfiction books that discuss horror movies. I love horror movies, so it would make sense that I enjoy this genre of books. This book, as the title suggests, talks about horror movies and the true stories that inspired them. It was wild because there were some movies I didn’t even realize were inspired by true events!

Review: Miracle Mountain (Ellie Jordan, Ghost Trapper #20) by J.L. Bryan

Title: Miracle Mountain

Series: Ellie Jordan, Ghost Trapper #20

Previous books in this series: Ellie Jordan, Ghost Trapper (#1) | Cold Shadows (#2) | The Crawling Darkness (#3) | Terminal (#4) | House of Whispers #5 | Maze of Souls #6 | Lullaby (#7) | The Keeper (#8) | The Tower (#9) | The Monster Museum (#10) | Fire Devil (#11) | The Necromancer's Library (#12) | The Trailwalker (#13) | Midnight Movie (#14) | The Lodge (#15) | Cabinet Jack (#16) | Fallen Wishes (#17) | Sunset House (#18) | The Funtime Show (#19)

Author: J.L. Bryan

Genre: Adult, paranormal, horror

Publication date: April 2024

Published by: J.L. Bryan

Source: eARC from author

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Synopsis: In the early nineteenth century, hungry gold prospectors descended on Miracle Mountain in north Georgia, ripping open the ancient wilderness, driven by dreams of glittering fortunes. Local legends tell of mysterious events, like a young girl who defied death after toppling from the mountain's treacherous waterfall.

Today, tourists visit to see the legendary falls along with the blazing colors of the Appalachian forests in autumn. The rustic, antiquated Highwater Inn welcomes them, but specters from the past haunt the halls and terrify the guests and staff. Paranormal investigator Ellie Jordan arrives to help the owners, who are desperate to clear away the evil influences before they're forced to close down and abandon the struggling hotel.

My rating: ★★★★☆

I was SO excited when this book landed in my inbox! I love this series and I was really starting to miss Ellie and Stacey and all their spooky adventures, so this came at the perfect time!