Man, talk about great timing. If you’re looking for something to get you in the mood for Hallowe’en, look no further.

 

David Mark is best known for the wonderful Aector McAvoy series but stepped away last year to give us The Mausoleum. He continues his sabbatical here with this spooky stand alone, a moody thriller with one toe firmly planted in horror.

 

Molly is the manager of the Jolly Bonnet, a pub in the Whitechapel area of London. Sound familiar? Yup, otherwise known as the old stomping grounds of Jack the Ripper. Jack may not be around anymore but his presence is palpable as groups of avid tourists are led around the neighbourhood by tour guides in Victorian costumes. And the Jolly Bonnet does its part. Molly regularly dresses as a steampunk madam & the bar is crammed with Victoriana, grisly antique medical equipment & icky things in jars.

 

For a single mom, it’s an unconventional but necessary way to raise her daughter. Hilda is a precocious 10 year old who spends her evenings in the pub. She has grown up around the odd group of regulars who frequent the place including Lottie, her mom’s best friend.

 

Lottie is…um…an original. By day she’s your average mild mannered pathologist (albeit with purple hair). By night, she’s the sexy host of a popular YouTube channel who chats about all things macabre. Old surgical techniques, weird looking body parts (more icky things in jars) & bizarre death rituals….nothing is too freaky for her “Coffin Club” audience.

 

In alternate chapters we meet the elderly Mr. Farkas. Once an esteemed academic, he now rattles around his big house in Spitalfields, the area many Ripperologists believe Jack called home. From the get-go, it’s obvious Mr. Farkas has a loose grip on reality. But be prepared….pretty soon we have horrifying evidence that he parted company with his sanity a loooong time ago.

 

It all kicks off when Hilda’s friend Meda goes missing. She’s part of an insular Lithuanian community that avoids contact with outsiders. So when Hilda & Molly turn up looking for Meda, they’re hardly welcomed with open arms. In fact they’re greeted with thinly veiled threats. It’s a situation that soon escalates despite the intervention of a mysterious man named Karol.

 

Time for me to zip it. You’re on your own from here on in. This is a dark, atmospheric read with a disturbing theme of just how far some will go to hold on to family. The story has faint supernatural undertones & only gets creepier & more violent as we begin to grasp what is actually happening. Even then, I was not prepared for one of the final twists.

 

Authors take a huge risk when they step away from popular series to deliver something completely different. And it can be hard for fans to go in without preconceptions. I recently had a similar experience with Adrian McKinty’s latest book. But a good writer is a good writer no matter the genre & what hasn’t changed is Mark’s ability to tell a story that keeps your butt planted. I think this is part of a journey he began with The Mausoleum & he’s now fully embracing his dark side. So my advice is grab a seat in a well lit spot. Oh, and avoid quills. (Don’t ask.)

 

 

                        

I must start by saying that while it didn't influence my rating of the book, it must be the ugliest cover I've seen all year. I don't even understand how it fits into the book.

So, the Vie are still terrorizing the Earth and people who are anaemic provide a powerful drug the Vie like to get high on. In this conclusion to the story, it is time to bring the Aliens and the system down.

Like I said in my review of Dawn of the Vie, it has all been done before, but it is still very enjoyable. I liked the second book slightly less. The discovery of others and the power struggles in between the resistance are never my favourite parts. Still glad I read it though.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

My Rating: 4.5
Marek is gone but the family needs Sophie, what does she do? Helps them and gets paid well to do it. Having a stalker who actually was not stalking her but following her for her protection, Sophie meets a young werewolf that needs her help. The demivampires believe that Sophie is their oracle Sophia, which is very rare. So when another Sophia contacts Sophie to help train her in her Sophia duties, she jumps at the chance. It doesn't take long for Sophie to realize she probably made a big mistake with the foreign Sophia. Even with Marek not in her life, she still loves him but when his brother steps in to take care of Sophie and her needs, things really get going.
I could not put this book down, yes I stayed mad a Marek the entire book but I still could not put it down

Blood Rush (Vampire Erotica #1) - Michel... I have to say, I love the fact that vampires live out in the open. I haven’t seen many paranormal books where that’s the case, but I always find them fascinating. I love seeing how the vampires and humans adapt to each other. How they relate. And the take the authors have on it. This book was no different. I was instantly intrigued by Myra's new job...blood courtesan. And her first suitor...Kristos. He was definitely yummy.



I loved his reactions to Myra. I loved how he took care of everything after she made a memorable entrance for their first meeting.

This book was full of action. I was actually quite surprised by that (in a good way). In the past I've found that shorter books lack story in some way but this one was extremely entertaining. It kept me hooked from page one. Myra was an awesome heroine. She was brave and had a great sense of humor. I thought of quoting her but honestly couldn't narrow down which quotes I liked most and realized I would be practically quoting the whole book. She definitely had me cracking up. And the sex scenes....HOT!!!!

My only complaint about this book was the length; that it was short and I didn't get the whole story. But, seeing as I already have the second book on my kindle, I can't complain too much. ;)

The author has amazing talent for being able to pack so much into a short a book and give it the feel of a longer story. I didn't feel like things were rushed and that things were overlooked or sacrificed. I can't wait to read more books by her.


**Copy provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.**

My reviews can also be found on Confessions of 2 Book Lovers.

Blood Rush (Vampire Erotica #1) - Michel... Ok this was one hot and interesting story! A great new look at the world of vampires! Ms. Fox takes us into a world where the paranormal is no longer a secret of the night. In fact, humans are even able to make a living by selling their blood as courtesans. Myra is a college student who is trying to earn some big bucks to help pay for her mothers chemo. Oh yeah and she's a virgin. Her first meeting with Kristos is full of flying sparks and vaginas. Oh yeah, and bullets!

"Hi, I'm Myra and I'm not wearing any panties"

This short little book is full of hot and steamy sex, action of the bullet kind and an ending that will have me grabbing book number two just as soon as finish this review.....

Thanks to Ms. Fox for providing my copy for review! :-)