The Janus Legacy by Lisa von Biela

Jeremy Magnusson is living a quiet life. He lost his mother years ago and rarely speaks with his father for leaving them as her disease grew worse. Now Jeremy is plagued with the disease and even lost the love of his life because of it. Everything changes for him when he receives the phone call telling him that his father has died and if he takes charge of the medical company that his father ran then he can have all the riches that go along with it. It's a hard decision for Jeremy as he struggles knowing that his father was involved in certain medical things that he didn't approve of. However greed wins out and he claims his birthright. He will then learn of the gift his father has left for him if he is brave enough to claim it. 

Love it! A medical thriller that really takes you into the debate about the moral high ground. What can be done versus what should be done to prolong a life or ease the suffering of a disease. Mrs. Biela really pulls you in and makes you feel for all the people involved and see the situation from both sides of the issue, filling us full of sympathy and horror in equal measure. 

Seriously brilliant, it drags you along on the roller coaster ride as you begin to root for Jeremy and then wonder how he can live with the decisions that he is forced to make. I loved weighing the morals of different situations and seeing the difference between the have's and the have nots. If you like excitement and have ever wondered what they are really doing in high end medical institutions I definitely suggest you check out this great read!

When We Fall by Peter Giglio

First just let me say that I really enjoy this author, he also wrote Lesser Creatures which I have also reviewed and loved. He takes a story that we think we know and changes it on it's head so that it's new and fresh and just a little bittersweet. 

The year is 1985 and Ben is still reeling from the loss of his best friend. He had never been one to make friends easily and he still felt lost without his friend. He can't tell anyone though that he still sees him at night, in his room. It helps ease the pain until he begins to get close to the neighbour girl Aubrey. Then the voice in the night brings shame and fear. But nothing like the fear that Ben feels when after making an 8mm film with Aubrey he sees the face of a boy who died the summer before. 

The spirit demands that Ben find out who killed him and help him. Ben is haunted and horrified by this even as his family becomes more worried about him and he grows more attached and more afraid of the beautiful girl next door, Aubrey Rose. Thirteen is already a hard enough age without adding more strife and hardship on his slight shoulders and Ben has to decide what to do, revert forever into childhood or make a stand and find the truth.

It was such a great read, quick and to the point you feel attached to Ben and just want to keep him from all the darkness that seems to surround him no matter which way he turns. At the same time you are cheering him on as he grows and learns that adults lie and just because you love someone doesn't mean they aren't flawed. It's a hard lesson as an adult to learn but at 13 he handles it with grace and continues to seek the truth. Loved it! Peter Giglio is just such a wonderful author. If you come across anything of his I definitely suggest grabbing it when you have the chance!

Reaping the Dark by Gary McMahon

The main character is a get away driver, waiting for the rest of his group to leave from the old warehouse when everything goes wrong. The sound of bullets shatter the still night and he has only seconds to change his life forever. He takes a chance, hoping for a better life for himself and his unborn child. Ultimately he learns that you can hide so long from the darkness inside of yourself and you always reap what you sow. 

It was brilliantly handled as the main character really tries to battle between what he's doing with his life and the person that he wants to be for his child. I think everyone struggles with that when they learn that they are going to be parents for the first time. You really felt like you got to see his personality even though it was a novella. 

This is a great short horror novel. I would really love to learn that this was the opening into an even bigger world. It was dark and ominous, with a hint of Rosemary's Baby to it which I loved! The pace was quick and the supernatural was handled right without seeming too unbelievable. I can't wait to see what else Gary has for us in the future!

  

Dark Father by James Cooper

Dark Father is an interesting take on a horror novel by James Cooper. It's three interlocking story lines and their consequences throughout the years and the psychological effect those actions can have on you. 

It was an interesting premise, however I just wasn't a huge fan of it. The writing was rather tedious and a few of the characters felt very one dimensional to me. My favourite character was Mack, with his rare mental disease. I enjoyed trying to figure out how the story lines all connected however I just found the writing dry and the characters not engrossing enough. 

I would definitely not recommend it. 

The Curse Keepers by Denise Grover Swank

Life is always filled with mystery when you live on the same island as the missing colony of Roanoke that disappeared in 1590.

For years Ellie Lancaster had ignored the ramblings of her father about a curse that her family could trace all the way back to Ananias Dare. Until the handsome young man entered the restaurant and changed her life forever with a simple touch. As the mark spread across her hand something was unleashed that was meant to be kept contained for all eternity. And it was angry, and hungry, and looking for Ellie. 

Collin Dailey had always known about the curse, and it infuriated him that Ellie wasn't taking it seriously even as he marked her doors and windows every night to keep her safe. Feeling himself becoming more and more attracted to the strong woman struggling to wrap her head around something she had always thought of as a fairy tale. He only hoped that at the end she would forgive all his secrets as he joined his soul to hers. 

I love this book. The female lead is strong even when confused and trying to find her way through the issue. She doesn't get lost in her attraction for the delicious Collin Dailey but tries to see him how he genuinely is. The book is wicked and you can tell the author really spent a lot of time researching the subject and getting to know the lay of the land. There is one scene where the author describes Ellie feeling the spirit of the animals of the sea all around her and it's beautiful. She has such a way with words that just lets you picture everything.

I had heard of the Lost Colony of Roanoke, I think most people have, but I loved Mrs. Swank's take on the mystery. It was engrossing and captured your imagination in a way that lingers with you long after the book is done. It makes you want to google and learn more. 

You can find it for under $6 on Amazon right now and I definitely would grab it. It's an urban fantasy and I can't wait for the conclusion of this series to see how things end up!

The Trouble with Honor by Julia London

The Trouble with Honor begins with Honor Cabot debating what to do with herself as her beloved step father is about to lose his life. It's hard enough for her to contemplate what to do without the man who is as close as a father to her, but as he gets closer to death's door and her step brother gets closer to marriage with a woman who hates Honor and her three younger sisters, Honor is forced to realize that she can no longer postpone a marriage to an eligible bachelor if it means keeping her sisters and family secret's safe. With a stroke of luck she realizes there is one last thing she can do to give her sisters their best chance at happiness. She can end her brothers engagement and encourage him towards a young lady who would be able to take pity on her family. And she knows just the man who could help her!

George Easton, the illegitimate son of a duke, has always enjoyed a good gamble and when the woman with the piercing eyes breaks all conventions and sits down at this table at the men's club he feels destiny spinning around him. Soon he is embroiled in a game to woo another woman but his thoughts are held captive by Honor. 

In between all this intrigue can these two ever find their way to each other and be honest with all the secrets in their hearts?

I had never read anything by Julia London before but I really enjoyed this book! It was funny and endearing, I cared not only about the main characters but the supporting cast as well. Which is good since this is the beginning of the Cabot Sisters series. The characters each have their graces and their flaws which always makes things more interesting. Definitely a read that I would suggest for those who enjoy historical romance!

It's on sale right now through amazon.ca for around $6, definitely worth the price!

Elderwood Manor by Christopher Fulbright & Angeline Hawkes

Elderwood Manor is a short story that appears to be an ode to horror novels from the Victorian era. It is filled with dark imagery and yet has a glimmer of hope interwoven in the story with the love that the father feels for his son. 

I really liked this story, it was a quick read, so nice for over a vacation or on the bus. It was well written and kept a fairly good pace throughout. I did wish that it had gone into a little bit more in depth of the history of how the activity had started but it gives you enough information and detail that you still get the family history of the house. 

Bruce Davenport is returning home after years away from his distant mother. Returning to his childhood home after a desperate phone call from his mother, and only because the rest of his life has seemingly fallen apart. He recently lost his wife to cancer and with mounting debt, it seems like he was also struggling financially. Arriving just as an ice storm hits the isolated location of the manor, he is grateful to get inside out of the cold. But now they're stuck inside the home that chills his blood faster then any cold front, no gas left and no hope of rescue until the morning. The horror builds as he finds his mother's body and begins to wonder if she was even the one who made that desperate phone call that brought him back to this cold, desolate place. 

It was so good! I would definitely recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good horror story. It will be exciting to see what else these authors will have for us in the future!