Bad Moon Rising

Bad Moon Rising

Monday, November 30, 2015

Book Review - The Cradle Will Fall by Mary Higgins Clark


The Synopsis:-

This hospital-based horror tale features abduction and a research project that violates every principle of modern medicine. This is a reissue of a novel by a popular author often described as the 'Queen of Suspense'.

My Review:-

This is the first book from Mary Higgins Clark, and boy am I glad I read it. This is a hospital based murder mystery. Not what I expected at all. What we don't get to see in murder mystery books nowadays are the point of view of the murdered itself, interestingly, we get that here. That was one of the most interesting aspects of this book. In this story the author predicts what the outcome will be for the main character Katie DeMaio. It all began with a small incident, which leads her to meet a murder of a doctor that has never been caught for his actions. It was about a young widow prosecutor named Katie DeMaio and how she got in a small car accident, which had her end up in the hospital. The hospital was called West Lake Hospital. It had a doctor who was also a murderer, that was great for curing women that were pregnant.

Other than it's stroyline itself, the dialogues were a little awkward and the writing style itself was a little off. I would say that this is a classic styled mystery novel where you somehow know that the culprit will be caught. This book would definitely be read with an open mind.

Overall, I would rate this book 3 stars.

Would I recommend it to someone, only to people who really love murder mystery novels.  


Book Review - A Book of Horrors compiled by Stephen Jones


The synopsis :-

Many of us grew up on The Pan Book of Horror Stories and its later incarnations, Dark Voices and Dark Terrors (The Gollancz Book of Horror), which won the World Fantasy Award, the Horror Critics' Guild Award and the British Fantasy Award, but for a decade or more there has been no non-themed anthology of original horror fiction published in the mainstream. Now that horror has returned to the bookshelves, it is time for a regular anthology of brand-new fiction by the best and brightest in the field, both the Big Names and the most talented newcomers. A Book of Horrors is the foremost in the field: a collection of the very best chiller fiction, from some of the world's greatest writers.

My Review:-

As you would already know, this is an anthology of horror stories from various horror and fantasy writers such as Stephen King, Ramsey Campbell and Brian Hodge, just to name a few. The compilation of the writers were amazing, however the stories some were good and some not worth mentioning. So here are some of the stories that I personally enjoyed!

Charcloth, Firesteel, and Flint by Caitlin R. Kiernan 

Caitlin R. Kiernan, is an author whom I actually like and have read before. This tale was a wonderful read and definitely kept you wanting to read more.

The Coffin-Maker's Daughter by Angela Slatter 

This story blew my mind, I really enjoyed it. 

Roots and All by Brian Hodge 

Hodge brings us a fairly good story about country folktales and the balance of right and wrong, death and life. I liked it well enough and found Hodge's wording to be beautiful. He's a good short story writer. . 

The Music of Bengt Karlsson, Murderer by John Ajvide Lindqvist 

Lindqvist, the true master horror. This story does not disappoint. It comes equipped, surely, with many of the standards of the horror genre: death in the family, unknowingly moving into the house of a murderer, child-like wraiths, ghostly music. And yet it is executed beautifully and in such a way that you can't stop reading it. One of the most memorable stories in the anthology.

Getting It Wrong by Ramsey Campbell 

I can admire the way the story comes full circle, and how because the protagonist is so unlikeable you can imagine how in the end he will earn just suffering. Even still, the story lacks the essential spark of possibility that horror stories need in order to hold its audience in doubt.  

Alice Through the Plastic Sheet by Robert Shearman 

This story was just bizarre. I think the story could be a commentary on the absurdity of capitalist societies...but I really can't be sure. The ending added to the element of strangeness the whole story emanates. 


A Child's Problem by Reggie Oliver 

In wonderful contrast to "The Man in the Ditch", "A Child's Problem" is amazing. The writing puts in mind the era of the setting. And you can't help but love the clever, sassy protagonist. In fact the robustness of all the characters' personalities is astounding considering that this is only a short story. Oliver is a master of their craft and I would highly recommend this anthology just for this story.

Sad, Dark Thing by Michael Marshall Smith 

Another well spun tale, "Sad, Dark Thing" is short and bittersweet. Very poignant, very elegant, a grand horror story.

Near Zennor by Elizabeth Hand 

I really liked the premise of the story. The set-up was wonderful and the possibilities for the story looked quite promising. I was very disappointed in the ending and I left with the feeling that there were several loose strings left to dangle. The writing was decent and the mood quite effective for a ghost story.

Last Words by Richard Christian Matheson 

Pretty decent, "Last Words" is more of a philosophical manifesto written my a serial killer with daddy issues than a horror story. It was still pretty good, and I feel that it was a nice way to end the anthology.

Well, I truly hope you enjoy reading this book. There's a couple of stories I didn't mention in this review, please skip those!

Overall three stars!

Book Review - Wild Orchids by Jude Deveraux


The Synopsis :-

Since his wife's death, world-famous author Ford Newcombe has lived a solitary life, void of creativity or love. Then Jackie Maxwell tears down the walls of his isolated world with her sassy wit and fierce intelligence. Ford's heart is touched by his vivacious assistant and his imagination sparked by her knowledge of a strange story that drives them to a small North Carolina town brimming with secrets. There, they will trace the mystery of a woman said to have loved the devil himself...and discover not only the truth about a crime from the past -- but a passion that holds the promise of a new life together. 


My Review:-

This is the first book of Jude Deveraux that I have read. To be very honest, the writing style bothered me a little and for some reason I feel that this book was all over the place. I'm an avid reader of paranormal romance. This book did not come across as paranormal or supernatural in the first instance. As I was reading it, then it became clear, however it did take a great deal of patience for me to get through the book. 

This is the story of Ford and Jackie. Ford has a bad reputation for firing everyone who works for him tries to talk Jackie into working for him which she in not about to do. Until her wedding day when things go South and she shows up at his doorstep in her wedding dress asking if the job is still open. Jackie is especially interested in the part where they move to Cole Creek (home of her youth) the very next day.

Overall, I would say that this is an easy read but without a genre to it. Of course it had romance but not the normal type of romance one would expect. There are some annoying little things in the book, but those things can be overlooked when you start to get to the part where you know something is wrong with the town that you have grown up in. 

I would give it three stars. 

genre : paranormal/supernatural/mystery/romance