C. J. Daley
Finished with my final (probably) proofread and you know what, I enjoyed my own novel!
It was a pretty intense labor of love, filled with time away, imposter syndrome, loss, and hard work writing other things.
I hope you’ll give it a shot, and I really hope you enjoy my debut full length, a detective horror. Thank you.
https://books2read.com/u/b5Kn0l
Finished with my final (probably) proofread and you know what, I enjoyed my own novel!
It was a pretty intense labor of love, filled with time away, imposter syndrome, loss, and hard work writing other things.
I hope you’ll give it a shot, and I really hope you enjoy my debut full length, a detective horror. Thank you.
https://books2read.com/u/b5Kn0l
After listening to the first two books in this series, (both with great narration) which were included with audible, and really digging just how much Christmas was included in this ‘mystery’ and having a few other reads that didn’t click for me, yes I went ahead and purchased the third book. It was part of audible’s end of year sale though!
Book three sees Holly White happily dating the Bostonian sheriff. Her family’s inn has officially opened, and she is working her hardest to balance her jewelry business as well as managing the site. Things in her life are going exceptionally well. Unfortunately, right around Christmas yet again, there’s another murder. And this time, it happened right outside where she works, with a nutcracker that was just gifted to her, and is covered in her best friend Cookie’s fingerprints.
The novel gives Holly, and the reader, an unbelievable amount of reminders that investigating is NOT her job, but is her boyfriend’s. And how if she would just let him do is job, he wouldn’t have to worry about her not being safe. While again mentioning ‘amateur sleuth’ this is really just a combination of Holly’s incredible nosiness and her desire to prove her friend’s innocence and save her family’s brand new inn. And while she is nosy, it’s worth mentioning that it’s not done in a way that the trait is annoying or negative really.
This mystery was another intriguing one. The author has offered up even more than she did in the previous book, where each gets a little bit more darkness with its violence. It makes for enjoyable reads as the majority of what’s within is sugary and sweet, and then bam, there’s a fully fledged crime here. And speaking of sugary…once again, I must applaud these people, as there is absolutely no real food in their diets. It’s all mentions of pancakes and muffins, cookies and pies, gumdrops and fudge, hot chocolate and whipped cream. Mistletoe, Maine must be the leading insulin using town in all of fictional America.
Can’t wait for book four next holiday season.
After listening to the first two books in this series, (both with great narration) which were included with audible, and really digging just how much Christmas was included in this ‘mystery’ and having a few other reads that didn’t click for me, yes I went ahead and purchased the third book. It was part of audible’s end of year sale though!
Book three sees Holly White happily dating the Bostonian sheriff. Her family’s inn has officially opened, and she is working her hardest to balance her jewelry business as well as managing the site. Things in her life are going exceptionally well. Unfortunately, right around Christmas yet again, there’s another murder. And this time, it happened right outside where she works, with a nutcracker that was just gifted to her, and is covered in her best friend Cookie’s fingerprints.
The novel gives Holly, and the reader, an unbelievable amount of reminders that investigating is NOT her job, but is her boyfriend’s. And how if she would just let him do is job, he wouldn’t have to worry about her not being safe. While again mentioning ‘amateur sleuth’ this is really just a combination of Holly’s incredible nosiness and her desire to prove her friend’s innocence and save her family’s brand new inn. And while she is nosy, it’s worth mentioning that it’s not done in a way that the trait is annoying or negative really.
This mystery was another intriguing one. The author has offered up even more than she did in the previous book, where each gets a little bit more darkness with its violence. It makes for enjoyable reads as the majority of what’s within is sugary and sweet, and then bam, there’s a fully fledged crime here. And speaking of sugary…once again, I must applaud these people, as there is absolutely no real food in their diets. It’s all mentions of pancakes and muffins, cookies and pies, gumdrops and fudge, hot chocolate and whipped cream. Mistletoe, Maine must be the leading insulin using town in all of fictional America.
Can’t wait for book four next holiday season.
Grabbed this for one final Christmas horror. It delivers in an almost urban fantasy way.
When Ada, Tor’s ex wife, shows up at The Black Bookmark—a novelty and collectible bookshop—with something from an estate sale, Tor has no choice but to dive right in. He begins translating a book, and right away, he can tell that this one is different. It’s retelling the tale of Hel and her battle with the dark elf for the underworld. But it’s anything but just a book, and anything but your typical Jul holiday.
It’s hard to do much more than summarize this one without spoiling it, but this was a dark and enjoyable little read. I feel like since the inclusion of Hela in Thor: Ragnarok, things that include this mythology give me a real urban fantasy feel? Which isn’t a bad thing, this just came off as a mixture of UF and horror because of it.
The unleashing, and subsequent retribution, was a take on going after those deemed “guilty” in a way that felt akin to Silent Night, Deadly Night or Krampus. The idea that during the holidays those deemed greedy, those unworthy, have reached the end of your allowance. Have reaped what they’ve sown. And this was a unique and dark way to show that.
The split between husband and wife was a nice addition, for the addition tension in the beginning of the story, however it was a bit too short to really work itself out, although, maybe there’s more…?
I would suggest checking this one out! It works great as a winter read.
Grabbed this for one final Christmas horror. It delivers in an almost urban fantasy way.
When Ada, Tor’s ex wife, shows up at The Black Bookmark—a novelty and collectible bookshop—with something from an estate sale, Tor has no choice but to dive right in. He begins translating a book, and right away, he can tell that this one is different. It’s retelling the tale of Hel and her battle with the dark elf for the underworld. But it’s anything but just a book, and anything but your typical Jul holiday.
It’s hard to do much more than summarize this one without spoiling it, but this was a dark and enjoyable little read. I feel like since the inclusion of Hela in Thor: Ragnarok, things that include this mythology give me a real urban fantasy feel? Which isn’t a bad thing, this just came off as a mixture of UF and horror because of it.
The unleashing, and subsequent retribution, was a take on going after those deemed “guilty” in a way that felt akin to Silent Night, Deadly Night or Krampus. The idea that during the holidays those deemed greedy, those unworthy, have reached the end of your allowance. Have reaped what they’ve sown. And this was a unique and dark way to show that.
The split between husband and wife was a nice addition, for the addition tension in the beginning of the story, however it was a bit too short to really work itself out, although, maybe there’s more…?
I would suggest checking this one out! It works great as a winter read.
Grabbed this on Audible’s end of year sale. With a title like that, it had been on my radar for a while.
A collection of Christmas horrors from some of the leading names in the genre. These were certainly more along the lines of what I was looking for compared to Christmas and Other Horrors, but still had a mix of Christmas and holiday traditions in it, making it somewhat similar.
As is usually true with me, Josh Malerman’s short was a particular standout. TENETS features a group of college friends meeting up for the holiday, but one friend brings someone with them that has a shaky past. Another standout was THE SECOND FLOOR OF THE CHRISTMAS HOTEL by Joe R. Lansdale. An old hotel, now derelict, but two friends remember the parties of old and one particular guest that stood out—a unique and creepy Christmas hunting. And lastly THE HANGMAN’S BRIDE by Sarah Pinborough was a mix of haunting and the supernatural, which to me still felt somehow A Christmas Carol-y.
Several of the other stories I personally could have done without, but that seems to be the way I lean on these big anthologies. Still, I’m glad I picked this one up when I did. While again, not exactly what I was looking for, another Christmas read down.
Grabbed this on Audible’s end of year sale. With a title like that, it had been on my radar for a while.
A collection of Christmas horrors from some of the leading names in the genre. These were certainly more along the lines of what I was looking for compared to Christmas and Other Horrors, but still had a mix of Christmas and holiday traditions in it, making it somewhat similar.
As is usually true with me, Josh Malerman’s short was a particular standout. TENETS features a group of college friends meeting up for the holiday, but one friend brings someone with them that has a shaky past. Another standout was THE SECOND FLOOR OF THE CHRISTMAS HOTEL by Joe R. Lansdale. An old hotel, now derelict, but two friends remember the parties of old and one particular guest that stood out—a unique and creepy Christmas hunting. And lastly THE HANGMAN’S BRIDE by Sarah Pinborough was a mix of haunting and the supernatural, which to me still felt somehow A Christmas Carol-y.
Several of the other stories I personally could have done without, but that seems to be the way I lean on these big anthologies. Still, I’m glad I picked this one up when I did. While again, not exactly what I was looking for, another Christmas read down.
Grabbed this on kindle for another Christmas spirit read. As a big fan of A Christmas Carol, I was curious how this would hold up and be different.
This novella is a retelling of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. The start shows us Scrooge in a more modern world, his work partner, Marley, is a woman, and also his partner in life. And although he was always the more frugal of the two, after her death is when his heart really started to turn to stone. And that stony chill is even frigid towards his daughter and son in law, not even having met his grandson. There was a scene early on between Scrooge and the daughter, where internally, he remarks that he wishes it wasn’t so and shows some kind of remorse. I was a bit worried, as it makes sense because it’s family, however at this point Scrooge was not a remorseful person, but the author does a great job of taking things from there.
The visit from Scrooge’s late wife was a nice twist, and the change to not only his behavior, but him being stuck in his grief, as reason for her (and his) chains was a well done addition. The three ghost visits that follow take on much of the same format as the original, but the continued tie in to Scrooge’s family life is the real winner here in terms of changes. His behavior has come between his daughter and her husband, as she simply cannot let him go—he’s her father, it’s a simple as that. But if Scrooge continues on the way he’s been, his family will suffer, his grandson will not receive the medical help he needs, and Scrooge will die in obscurity.
While this is a retelling that pretty closely follows the original, I found the changes enjoyable and enough to read as refreshing. The language used felt close enough to the original, which was a good thing, but I do wish the story featured more of the modernized world. Overall though, I enjoyed this a lot! Great Christmas spirit at the end.
Grabbed this on kindle for another Christmas spirit read. As a big fan of A Christmas Carol, I was curious how this would hold up and be different.
This novella is a retelling of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. The start shows us Scrooge in a more modern world, his work partner, Marley, is a woman, and also his partner in life. And although he was always the more frugal of the two, after her death is when his heart really started to turn to stone. And that stony chill is even frigid towards his daughter and son in law, not even having met his grandson. There was a scene early on between Scrooge and the daughter, where internally, he remarks that he wishes it wasn’t so and shows some kind of remorse. I was a bit worried, as it makes sense because it’s family, however at this point Scrooge was not a remorseful person, but the author does a great job of taking things from there.
The visit from Scrooge’s late wife was a nice twist, and the change to not only his behavior, but him being stuck in his grief, as reason for her (and his) chains was a well done addition. The three ghost visits that follow take on much of the same format as the original, but the continued tie in to Scrooge’s family life is the real winner here in terms of changes. His behavior has come between his daughter and her husband, as she simply cannot let him go—he’s her father, it’s a simple as that. But if Scrooge continues on the way he’s been, his family will suffer, his grandson will not receive the medical help he needs, and Scrooge will die in obscurity.
While this is a retelling that pretty closely follows the original, I found the changes enjoyable and enough to read as refreshing. The language used felt close enough to the original, which was a good thing, but I do wish the story featured more of the modernized world. Overall though, I enjoyed this a lot! Great Christmas spirit at the end.
Preordered this one, but when I saw there were illustrations, I decided to get a paperback copy too. They were a nice accompaniment!
Diane is dealing with the loss of her husband. And yes, maybe she is not handling it well, but that doesn’t mean she wants her family to force her to celebrate Christmas. Especially not a ridiculously expensive trip to Christmas Town. A town that celebrates Christmas year round—an all-inclusive tourist destination to recapture the childlike glee of old. But when do kids ever listen?
Once they arrive, Diane is forced into Christmas cheer that she is simply not ready for. The tea time, Christmas shopping, Christmas cookies and sweets, a trip to see Santa, it should all be perfect, so why does the entire thing feel genuinely forced? And underneath that twinkle light and tinsel-y veneer, why does everything look so wrong? And why is Diane the only one noticing it?
The mayhem that follows feels like a classic Christmas story smashed together with John Carpenter’s The Thing (and not just because of the name!). Is Christmas Town infecting everyone or is the town itself infested? And while that may have your mind racing to practical effects and prosthetics, this novella also features some truly bloody and evil kills. Nothing is as it seems, even Santa!
While this is a blood pounding story of survival, it was also a well done examination into grief. Not only the loss of a husband, but the impact of an accident and misguided blame. Diane’s struggle keeps her from enjoying life, and the author does a fantastic job of showcasing how that grief and fear impacts each individual in her life.
Preordered this one, but when I saw there were illustrations, I decided to get a paperback copy too. They were a nice accompaniment!
Diane is dealing with the loss of her husband. And yes, maybe she is not handling it well, but that doesn’t mean she wants her family to force her to celebrate Christmas. Especially not a ridiculously expensive trip to Christmas Town. A town that celebrates Christmas year round—an all-inclusive tourist destination to recapture the childlike glee of old. But when do kids ever listen?
Once they arrive, Diane is forced into Christmas cheer that she is simply not ready for. The tea time, Christmas shopping, Christmas cookies and sweets, a trip to see Santa, it should all be perfect, so why does the entire thing feel genuinely forced? And underneath that twinkle light and tinsel-y veneer, why does everything look so wrong? And why is Diane the only one noticing it?
The mayhem that follows feels like a classic Christmas story smashed together with John Carpenter’s The Thing (and not just because of the name!). Is Christmas Town infecting everyone or is the town itself infested? And while that may have your mind racing to practical effects and prosthetics, this novella also features some truly bloody and evil kills. Nothing is as it seems, even Santa!
While this is a blood pounding story of survival, it was also a well done examination into grief. Not only the loss of a husband, but the impact of an accident and misguided blame. Diane’s struggle keeps her from enjoying life, and the author does a fantastic job of showcasing how that grief and fear impacts each individual in her life.