Shock Rock by Jeff Gelb, Stephen King, Graham Masterton

Shock Rock by Jeff Gelb


Rock and Roll is Here to Slay...

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
This is an anthology of short horror stories that all involve rock and roll music or rock and roll legends. Like all anthologies it has good stories and not so good stories. For the most part the stories were good with only a couple that were a waste of time.



My favorites were --



You Know They Got a Hell of a Band by Stephen King

Blood Suede Shoes by Ronald Kelly

Voodoo Child by Graham Masterton

Weird Gig by Ray Garton

Hide in Plain Sight by John L. Byrne



There are other stories that are good as well and overall a good book of short horror stories!


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The Chick and the Dead: A Pepper Martin Mystery #2 by Casey Daniels

The Chick and the Dead: A Pepper Martin Mystery by Casey Daniels


From the Publisher
Ever since the former rich girl-turned-Cleveland cemetery tour guide banged her head on a headstone, she sees dead people. Worse still, she hears them—and they won't shut up! Now it's Didi Bowman, a poodle-skirted relic from the Great Beyond, who's bending Pepper's ear, complaining that her famous author sister, Merilee, has done her wrong. Trouble is, if Pepper proves it, she'll break the hearts of millions of Merilee's fans. And if she doesn't, Didi's ghost may never go away.

Pepper needs peace and quiet (and rent money), so the cash-strapped ex-heiress agrees to take a job as Merilee's secretary and dig around the family tree. But when she unearths more than she bargained for—like an illegitimate daughter, a bunch of illicit love affairs, and a possible murder—suddenly a very poisoned pen is all set to write Pepper out of the story permanently.

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
Another quick, cute book in the Pepper Martin series. If your looking for a fun, light read then this series is just right. Pepper is still ditzy, but getting a little better. The mysteries are fun and the read is quick. Looking forward to the next one.


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Don of the Dead: A Pepper Martin Mystery #1 by Casey Daniels

Don of the Dead: A Pepper Martin Mystery by Casey Daniels


From the Publisher
She sees dead people

Beautiful, smart, and chic, Pepper Martin never had to work a day in her life -- until her surgeon daddy was convicted of fraud, her wealthy fiancé took a powder, and the family fortune ran bone dry.

Suddenly desperate, the inexperienced ex-rich girl was forced to take the only job she could get: as a tour guide in a cemetery. But a grave situation took a turn for the worse when a head-on collision with a headstone left her with an unwanted ability to communicate with the disgruntled deceased . . . and now Pepper has a whacked Mafia don demanding that she hunt down his killers -- and threatening to haunt her until she does.

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
This was a light fun Paranormal Cozy. The main character, Pepper, is a bit ditzy. The author went a little heavy on the mob speak, but for the most part it was a good read.



It looks to be a good start to a series of cozy mysteries with Pepper Martin and I am looking forward to reading the next one.


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Heyoka Bood (A Heyoka Nation Mystery) by Hewitt Schlereth

Heyoka Bood by Hewitt Schlereth


From the Publisher
In a sleepy northern Atlantic harbor, a floating village of houseboats and fishermen remains the core of the small, oil-producing American Indian nation where governance remains traditionally entirely female. Hadrian Wallace, a mixed-blood Heyoka native, spends his days writing books and inspecting boats for insurance companies, enjoying a purposefully simple life. Until the body of an old flame, Ann Summerlune, is found floating nearby.

Unable to reconcile her death and his own regrets over events of their shared past, Hadrian begins to piece together Ann's final days, from the marriage he is certain she regretted to something alarming she discovered involving local oil reserves and illegal doings. Whatever she found was something big and bad enough to get her dead. A fate, he soon discovers, that may well be his own.

My review

rating: 3 of 5 stars
This book was so-so. It wasn't awful, but it wasn't great either.

I was never able to connect with any of the characters. The mystery was hohum. There was a lot of boat talk, which should not be surprising considering the other books that this author has written. Overall, just a so-so read.


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Under Darkness (Darkwing Chronicles, Book #5) by Savannah Russe

Under Darkness by Savannah Russe


From the Publisher
The terrorist threat to America continues, but this time it's so top secret that only those in the highest circles of government know about it. As it unfolds, Daphne and the vampire spies, the Darkwings, become the first and only line of defense to save a city. Team Darkwing's assignment: decipher and defuse the terrorist plot. But Daphne gets distracted when vampire hunters storm the city. Is Darius, her hot-and-cold lover, behind their reappearance? This time, will he return to love Daphne or to commit the ultimate act of betrayal?

My review

rating: 3 of 5 stars
Why do I keep reading these books. lol I absolutely despise this authors writing style, but I enjoy the adventures of the Darkwings enough to keep reading.



This one like the other books in the series deals with a threat to National Security, when the Intrepid, an old war ship, is stolen. The Darkwings must find out by who and why. Along with this mission they are also targeted by an army of vampire hunters and Daphne has to deal with the return of Darius.



Just when I have just about decided that this is the last Darkwing book for me, it gets interesting and ends on a note that makes me have to read the next one. Go figure. lol






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The Myth Hunters (The Veil, book 1) by Christopher Golden

The Myth Hunters by Christopher Golden


From the Publisher
In this enthralling new tale from bestselling author Christopher Golden, one man is drawn into a realm just across the veil from our own, where every captivating myth and fairy tale is true, the vanished exist–and every fear is founded….

Yielding to his father's wishes, Oliver Bascombe abandoned his dream of being an actor and joined the family law firm. Now he will marry a lovely young woman bearing the Bascombe stamp of approval. But on the eve of his wedding, a blizzard sweeps in–bringing with it an icy legend who calls into question everything Oliver believes about the world and his place in it….

Pursued by a murderous creature who heeds no boundaries, Jack Frost needs Oliver's help to save both himself and his world–an alternate reality slowly being displaced by our own. To help him, Oliver Bascombe, attorney-at-law, will have to become Oliver Bascombe, adventurer, hero–and hunted. So begins a magnificent journey where he straddles two realities…and where, even amid danger, Oliver finds freedom for the very first time

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
This book was okay. It takes a while for the story to develop but it does finally come together and right about where the book ends it gets interesting. lol Now I have to read #2.



Oliver is a lawyer from a very wealthy family on the eve of his wedding. He is having doubts about rather he really wants to get married when he encounters Jack Frost (yep the one and only) who has been attacked by a Myth Hunter and needs Oliver to help him. In helping Frost escape the Hunter, Oliver is transported with Frost through the Veil, which keeps the world of the Borderkind (our myths and legends come to life) separate from our world.



This leads to quite and adventure as Oliver attempts to find a way to circumvent that automatic death sentence given to all Intruders, while he joins up with several Borderkind in an attempt to discover who has given the order for all of the Borderkind to be killed and why.



In the meantime The Sandman has escaped into our world and his first victim is Oliver's father. He abducts Oliver's sister to use as bait to lure Oliver to his death.



I am looking forward to reading the second book in the series 'The Borderkind' just to see what happens next.


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Fledgling by Octavia E. Butler

Fledgling by Octavia E. Butler


From Publishers Weekly
Starred Review. The much-lauded Butler creates vampires in her 12th novel (her first in seven years) that have about as much to do with Bram Stoker's Dracula as HBO's Deadwood does with High Noon. They need human blood to survive, but they don't kill unless they have to, and (given several hundred years) they'll eventually die peacefully of old age. They are Ina, and they've coexisted with humans for millennia, imparting robust health and narcotic bliss with every bite to their devoted human blood donors, aka "symbionts." Shori is a 53-year-old Ina (a juvenile) who wakes up in a cave, amnesiac and seriously wounded. As is later revealed, her family and their symbionts were murdered because they genetically engineered a generation of part-Ina, part-human children. Shori was their most successful experiment: she can stay conscious during daylight hours, and her black skin helps protect her from the sun. The lone survivor, Shori must rely on a few friendly (and tasty) people to help her warn other Ina families and rediscover herself. Butler, keeping tension high, reveals the mysteries of the Ina universe bit by tantalizing bit. Just as the Ina's collective honor and dignity starts to get a little dull, a gang of bigoted, black sheep Ina rolls into town for a species-wide confab-cum-smackdown. In the feisty Shori, Butler has created a new vampire paradigm—one that's more prone to sci-fi social commentary than gothic romance—and given a tired genre a much-needed shot in the arm. (Oct.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
This is the first book by Octavia Butler that I have read but it will not be the last.



The main character of the story is Shori, an adolescent vampire, who has had her family destroyed and was almost killed herself in the process. Due to the severity of the injuries she wakes up in a cave with amnesia. This book takes us on a journey with Shori to discover first what she is, then after she finds out she is Ina (vampire) we follow along as she learns what it is to be Ina and how this very ancient race of beings lives. The story also takes us through Shori's fight to stay alive as those who killed her family continue to attempt to destroy her.



The entire idea behind the Ina and their symbiont and the way they live their lives is a very interesting take on vampirism. We are introduced to whole new way of viewing vampires and the way that they live, feed, and breed. Very interesting idea!!



The one complaint about the book that I have is that Shori, who is an adolescent vampire at 53 years of age, is in a body that resembles that of a 10 year old human child. But while her appearance is that of a child, she is in no way portrayed as a child. While we are continually reminded that Shori is in fact an adolescent vampire, we also see her involved in what we would view as very adult behaviors. The relationship between Ina and their symbionts is very sexual and I found it disturbing that there are many intimate scenes where the author makes sure that we know that the body of Shori is that of a child.


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Bar Code Rebellion by Suzanne Weyn

Bar Code Rebellion by Suzanne Weyn


From the Publisher
Kayla has resisted getting the bar code tattoo, even though it's meant forfeiting any chance she'd had at having a normal life. Without the tattoo, she's an exile. But when someone very important sets about to bring her back in again -- WITH a tattoo -- Kayla finds herself a part of the resistence, where her unexpected allies and even more unexpected enemies include three clones of hers.

An edge-of-your-seat, teen's-eye-view thriller that merges the headlines of today with the world of tomorrow.

My review

rating: 5 of 5 stars
I definitely enjoyed this second book much better than the first one.

While this book continues the story of Kayla's stuggle against that Bar Code Tattoo, it also takes a much more interesting science fiction turn with the addition of cloning and nanotechnology to the storyline.

A wonderful read well worth making your way through the first book to get to this one.




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The Bar Code Tattoo by Suzanne Weyn

The Bar Code Tattoo by Suzanne Weyn


From the Publisher
The bar code tattoo. Everybody's getting it. It will make your life easier, they say. It will hook you in. It will become your identity. But what if you say no? What if you don't want to become a code? For Kayla, this one choice changes everything. She becomes an outcast in her high school. Dangerous things happen to her family. There's no option but to run . . . for her life.Indivuality vs. conformity.. Identity vs. access. Freedom vs. control.The bar code tattoo.

My review

rating: 3 of 5 stars
This is a very interesting look into a possible future. Many of the things in this book are things that we are faced with in right now in society. So much so that this book has a ring of possibilities to it. Thought provoking.



As for the story itself, it was just okay. I found the concept interesting but the writing was not great for me. Too many things just happened out of the blue to make it realistic. The turn that the book takes towards psychic ability, while it is an interesting concept, seems out of place. Just another on of those things that happens too convieniently in this book.



I will read the next book just to see how it all works out, since these are quick reads.


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Moonshine (Cal Leandros #2) by Rob Thurman

Moonshine by Rob Thurman


From the Publisher
After saving the world from his fiendish father's side of the family, Cal Leandros and his stalwart half-brother Niko have settled down with new digs and a new gig-bodyguard and detective work. And in New York City, where preternatural beings stalk the streets just like normal folk, business is good. Their latest case has them going undercover for the Kin-the werewolf Mafia. A low-level Kin boss thinks a rival is setting him up for a fall, and wants proof. The place to start is the back room of Moonshine-a gambling club for non-humans. Cal thinks it's a simple in-and-out job. But Cal is very, very wrong.

Cal and Niko are being set up themselves-and the people behind it have a bite much worse than their bark...

My review

rating: 5 of 5 stars
I enjoyed this second book more than the first. The characters have been developed and the storyline was interesting.



When Cal's would be girlfriend, George-- a psychic-- is kidnapped, Cal, Niko and their friends are forced into a battle with the Kin. The Kin are werewolves who rule the city. As Cal and group chase after a crown with unknown powers they are forced to battle all sorts of monsters, some of their own making.



A very good read and I am looking forward to the next in the series.


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Nightlife (Cal Leandros book 1) by Rob Thurman

Nightlife by Rob Thurman


From the Publisher
In New York, there's a troll under the Brooklyn Bridge, a boggle in Central Park, and a beautiful vampire in a penthouse on the Upper East Side. Of course, most humans are oblivious to this, but Cal Leandros is only half-human. His father's dark lineage is the stuff of nightmares-and he and his entire otherworldly race are after Cal.

He and his half-brother Niko have managed to stay a step ahead for three years, but now Cal's dad has found them again. And Cal is about to learn why they want him, why they've always wanted him: He is the key to unleashing their hell on earth. The fate of the human world will be decided in the fight of Cal's life....

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
I have been reading a lot of Urban Fantasy books lately an this one was pretty good. The premise is a little different than most. Instead of being about a hero who is out to save the world from the monsters, we have a monster who is running to save himself. Or at least that is what he thinks.



Cal is a half breed. A one of a kind. He is half human and half Auphe, which is an elf, but a very dark version of an elf. Cal grows up with his older half-brother, Niko, taking care of him, knowing that he is different, but not really knowing why or how. One day when he is 14 years old he finds out exactly what he is and why he was created. From that point on he and Niko are on the run for their lives.



Eventually the Auphe catch up with them in New York City and a full scale war ensues. Then the world saving kicks in.



A good read, with a very interesting character change up about 2/3 of the way through, which I thought was interesting and brave on the part of the author.



Quite a few very interesting characters who I became involved with and want to hear more about. Looking forward to the next book, which I am starting now.


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Unshapely Things (Connor Grey #1) by Mark Del Franco

Unshapely Things by Mark Del Franco


From the Publisher
In the alleys of the decrepit Boston neighborhood known as the Weird, fairy prostitutes are turning up dead. The crime scenes show signs of residual magic, but the Guild, which polices the fey, has more "important" crimes to investigate and dumps the case on human law enforcement.

Boston police call in Connor Grey, a druid and former hotshot Guild investigator-whose magical abilities were crippled after a run-in with a radical environmentalist elf. As Connor battles red tape and his own shortcomings, he realizes that the murders are not random, but part of an ancient magical ritual. And if Connor can't figure out the killer's M.O., the culmination of the spell might just bring about a worldwide cataclysm.

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
This was a good book. It took me a little while to get into it, but that was because it is a new series by a new author and I often find the whole set up of a series and the details of the world a bit boring. The premise is modern day Boston where Faerie has merged with our world in the past, bringing all sorts of magical creatures with it. I quite enjoyed the fact that this Urban Fantasy is all about magical creatures, and does not have the normal vamps, weres, etc in it.



The author does a good job setting up the background for this new series if you can get past the basic set up. The characters are very strongly developed and I really like the flits, especially Stinkwort/Joe.



Connor Grey reminds me a bit of Harry Dresden, but only because he is a bit of an inept magic user. Connor is not a wizard, but a Druid and he has lost his magical abilities due to an accident involving and elf, a nuclear power plant and a magical ring. Since he can no longer work for the Guild (kind of a magical police force) he helps out the Boston PD on cases that involve the Fey.



As the story became more involved I really began enjoying it more and more. The last quarter of the book was even a 'can't put it down' read. I really look forward to the next book in the series in the hopes that the author continues with his trend towards a great Urban Fantasy series.


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Claimed By Shadow by Karen Chance

Claimed By Shadow by Karen Chance


From the Publisher
Clairvoyant Cassie Plamer has inherited new magical powers-including the ability to travel through time. But it's a whole lot of responsibility she'd rather not have. Now she's the most popular girl in town, as an assortment of vamps, fey, and mages try to convince, force, or seduce her-and her magic-over to their side. But one particular master vampire didn't ask what Cassie wanted before putting a claim on her. He had a spell cast that binds her to him, and now she doesn't know if what she feels for him is real-or imagined...

My review

rating: 5 of 5 stars
Excellent book. It has been a while since I have read a 'so good you can not put it down' book, but this one qualified!!



This book takes up right where the first, 'Touch the Dark' left off. We follow Cassie on an action filled adventure in her attempt to avoid becoming the new Pythia. The book starts off with breathtaking action and never lets up, right to the ending.



The author worked out the few wrinkles that hindered her first book -- no long winded vamp politics to bore us this time around!!



This is one of the better Urban Fantasies that I have read recently and I am looking forward to the release of the next in the series!!


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Feast of Fools (The Morganville Vampires, Book 4) by Rachel Caine

Feast of Fools by Rachel Caine



From the Publisher

The wait is over. dig into the feast...

In the town of Morganville, vampires and humans live in relative peace. Student Claire Danvers has never been convinced, though—especially with the arrival of Mr. Bishop, an ancient, old-school vampire who cares nothing about harmony. What he wants from the town's living and its dead is unthinkably sinister. It's only at a formal ball, attended by vampires and their human dates, that Claire realizes the elaborately evil trap he's set for Morganville.

My review

rating: 5 of 5 stars
So when does the next one come out? How can authors end books like this and make us wait?



Great chapter in the story of the Morganville Vampires. This book takes right up where the last one leaves off. It takes a little bit to get going but when it does, wow!!



A new Vamp comes to town, Bishop -- Amelie's father. He is on a mission and it is up to Claire and her friends to help stop him from destroying Morganville and everyone in it.



Excellent story and I can not wait for the next book to come out!!!


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Touch the Dark (Cassie Palmer Book 1) by Karen Chance

Touch the Dark by Karen Chance



From the Publisher
Cassandra Palmer can see the future and communicate with spirits-talents that make her attractive to the dead and the undead. The ghosts of the dead aren't usually dangerous; they just like to talk...a lot. The undead are another matter.

Like any sensible girl, Cassie tries to avoid vampires. But when the bloodsucking Mafioso she escaped three years ago finds Cassie again with vengeance on his mind, she's forced to turn to the vampire Senate for protection. The undead senators won't help her for nothing, and Cassie finds herself working with one of their most powerful members, a dangerously seductive master vampire-and the price he demands may be more than Cassie is willing to pay...

My review

rating: 5 of 5 stars
This was a really good book. The characters are well developed and the main character is a strong woman who is trying to be in control of her life. Cassie is a young woman who has been raised in the world of the Supernatural by a ruthless, cold blooded vampire, who had her parents killed when she was young so that he could control Cassie. But while she knows about vamps and their politics, a lot of what she encounters is new to her.



The plot is interesting, although the author does tend to get a little long winded about the vampire politics and gets boring at times, but over all there is a lot of action and very little romance (although there is some sex), which I prefer in my paranormal books.



Overall a great read and I am very excited to be able to go right on to the next book in the series.


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Begin Again (Remnants No. 14) by Katherine Applegate

Begin Again by Katherine Applegate


From the Publisher
The end of the world has come and gone, leaving only ruins, and the Remnants. This is the final chapter in their saga. The Remnants, Marauders, and Alphas are being summoned by the Source. Unsure of the future, and weary from the past, the group travels.But not everyone trusts the power and promise of the Source. Can it truly bring life back to planet Earth? Will the Remnants survive to tell the tale of the Rock--the times before and the times after? Only the Source knows if the universe will end, or begin again. All will be revealed.

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
Great ending to the story of the Remnants. I was a little concerned that I would not be happy with the ending, but it all came together and ended in a good way. All in all a great series and a fun read.


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Rogue by Rachel Vincent

Rogue by Rachel Vincent



From the Publisher
I know that better than most. Since rejoining the Pride, I've made big decisions and even bigger mistakes: the kind paid for with innocent lives. As the first and only female enforcer, I have plenty to prove to my father, the Pride and myself. And with murdered toms turning up in our territory, I'm working harder than ever, though I always find the energy for a little after-hours recreation with Marc, my partner both on and off duty.
But not all my mistakes are behind me. We're beginning to suspect that the dead are connected to a rash of missing human women and that they can all be laid at my feet—two or four, take your pick. And one horrible indiscretion may yet cost me more than I can bear.…

My review

rating: 5 of 5 stars
Excellent book. I liked Stray and I 'really' liked Rogue. I liked Faythe a lot better in this book, although I still find myself annoyed at her immaturity when it comes to Marc, but her character was better developed and more likeable this time around. Enjoyed the storyline and figuring out the twist. Can not wait until the next in the series comes out this fall -- "Pride".


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