The Siren and the Spectre by Jonathan Janz

4*

When David Caine, a celebrated skeptic of the supernatural, is invited by an old friend to spend a month in “the most haunted house in Virginia,” he believes the case will be like any other. But the Alexander House is different. Built by a 1700s land baron to contain the madness and depravity of his eldest son, the house is plagued by shadows of the past and the lingering taint of bloodshed. David is haunted, as well. For twenty-two years ago, he turned away the woman he loved, and she took her life in sorrow. And David suspects she’s followed him to the Alexander House

I quite enjoyed this novel about a guy that is trying to debunk another “haunted” house but gets way more than he bargained for, with his past rising to meet the present.
The setting in the house was eerie and descriptive, David’s feelings real and yet his disbelief continued even when he saw things.
There was a lot going on in the book, Judson’s evil spirit, a siren and an abusive, sick family, but the pace never slowed and made for an interesting read.
I wasn’t wholly sold on the Sirens involvement, at first i didn’t understand what her appearance added to the plot but it did become clear eventually that she mattered, especially to David’s conscience.
Some things in the story are shocking to read but it all adds to the element of just how depraved Judson was, I would happily read another book by this author.

Now You See Her by Heidi Perks

5*

NOW YOU SEE HER
She’s playing at the school fete with your children. You pull out your phone, scroll through Facebook, and look up again.
NOW YOU DON'T

Charlotte is looking after her best friend’s daughter the day she disappears. She thought the little girl was playing with her own children. She swears she only took her eyes off them for a second.

Now, Charlotte must do the unthinkable, tell her best friend Harriet that her only child is missing. The child she was meant to be watching.

Devastated, Harriet can no longer bear to see Charlotte. No one could expect her to trust her friend again.

Only now she needs to. Because two weeks later Harriet and Charlotte are both being questioned separately by the police. And secrets are about to surface.

Someone is hiding the truth about what really happened to Alice.

Wow, this book though!
Gripping and tense throughout, this book was fast paced and kept me guessing right until the huge twist at the end.
It shows how easy it is to pin blame on people and how hard it is to live with yourself after such a terrible event, involving a child.
The atmosphere is claustrophobic and so real it almost feels like you’re in the story, the characters are descriptive and emotional, again so real.
Charlotte battles with both guilt at losing her friends child and relief at having her own, this shows at every turn and there is an inevitable confrontation it’s surprising results, I did not see the ending coming!
A well written, solid story by an author I will read more of.

They Feed by Jason Parent

4*

The night uncovers all we wish not to see.

A troubled man enters a dusky park before sunset. A young woman follows, hidden in shadow. Both have returned to the park to take back something the past has stolen from them, to make right six long years of suffering, and to find justice or perhaps redemption—or maybe they'll settle for some old-fashioned revenge.

But something evil is alive and awake in those woods, creatures that care nothing for human motivations. They’re driven by their own insatiable need: a ravenous, bottomless hunger.

The campgrounds are full tonight, and the creatures are starving. Before the night is over, they will feed.

Tyler returns to the scene of the crime after being released from Prison on a manslaughter charge, he believes he was innocent and can’t deny the pull of the woods that set the rest of his life in motion.
What follows is a creepy, atmospheric slaughterfest, which includes some likeable characters, some very dislikeable characters, witty one-liners and a whole load of gore, thanks to some other worldly beings that are definitely not normal creature.
The setting of the forest and mountains is eerie, and feels claustrophobic at times especially in the cabin.
There is a cracking twist at the end which I did not see coming and left me a bit sad really, a good book though, with all the right ingredients for a horror.