In a trilogy pertaining to cryptid monsters, I find it fitting that the final book in the series centers around the most horrible monster of all - man. The evil that man has inflicted on each other is astounding to think about. Hatred and bigotry come front and center in Schweigart's The Devil's Colony. Ben and Lindsay are once again called on by billionaire cryptozoologist, Richard Severance. This time, it's to infiltrate the compound of neo-nazi Henry Drexler. Henry is the son of a former Nazi SS officer and scientist who was assigned by Hitler to find proof of the dominance and superiority of the Aryan race throughout history. Now Henry is using his family's fortune and remote camp location in the Pine Barrens Woods of New Jersey to welcome all neo-Nazis and white supremacists who want to join him in continuing his father's dream. But what else has Henry unearthed in his research of his father's past?

 

The Devil's Colony is different than the previous two entries in the trilogy. The first two, The Beast of Barcroft and Northwoods centers around the cryptid monsters that are unleashed and causing havoc. In The Devil's Colony, the story focuses mainly on the horror's of man and the cryptid monster is a side dish to come in during the last act. According to some reviews I've read, this difference may have tripped up a reader or two. However, it didn't spoil the story for me. I enjoyed Schweigart's tale and thought it hit many of the right notes. Perhaps, the cryptid portion of the story could've been sprinkled a little more throughout so that it didn't seem like two different stories trying to be mashed together. All in all, I enjoyed the trilogy and look forward to more from Bill.

 

 

4 Nazi SS Swords out of 5

 

 

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This is volume 7 in the Dark Screams series. The more of this series I read the more I love it. The book is a volume of 6 short stories by 6 authors, Robert McCammon, James Renner, Kaaron Warren, Brian Hodge, Bill Schweigart, and Mick Garris. If I had to choose my favorite I think it would have to be Kaaron Warren's Furtherest. It is a very creepy story, but I loved it. All the stories in this book are great though. This is an awesome series.

There are a handful of authors that I trust enough to read 2 books from, let alone 3. Especially in a series, because, let's face it, the second book generally sucks, and the third one rarely manages to measure up to the bar the first book set. Bill Schweigart is on the short list of authors I trust enough to keep reading, and The Devil's Colony just cemented his place on that list.

Lindsay, Ben, Severance, Alex, and Davis are all great characters that feel like the family they are to each other. Each of them are likable for their own reasons. Even Severance who - by anyone's admission - is a bit of a toerag. The first book had me side-eyeing him. The second book I was starting to appreciate him. One line - just one - in The Devil's Colony finally won me over. Any man who doesn't even hesitate to get on his knees and beg, if that's what it takes, is worth something.

It takes a while for The Devil's Colony to get rolling, but it's not a slow-burn book by any means. Once things start happening, it's one thing after another in twists you really didn't see coming. (Or some you did, and welcomed them anyways.) I went from face-palming over a particularly bad joke, to being on the edge of my seat and preparing to call the author some very naughty names in the space of like ten minutes. And then I was riding a high of arse-kicking satisfaction and watching Ben and Lindsay do their thing. (Although I'm very tempted to insert a Nyan cat gif here to mock a certain character, I won't.)

(Its a pic. Not a gif. So, it's okay.)

Schweigart did a fantastic job on The Devil's Colony. Finishing this book was definitely a good way to start my Monday morning on a high note. I didn't even mind the somewhat mushy all-the-feels wrap-up, y'all.

Well done, sir. Well done.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book free from the publisher for review consideration.

In this book, we met for the first time Ben Mckelvie who together with his fiance moved to the Barcroft, a suburb in Washington, D.C. However, what they didn't know that they would be neighbours with crazy raccoon-loving Madeleine Roux. Everything just gets worse with Ben's fiance leaving him and his poor dog gets killed. But, it even gets worse than that when the predator that killed his dog seems to start to kill his neighbours one by one...

"One twisted, gnarled body, thousands of tiny heads protruding. The mass crested over her swaying like a cobra for a moment, hundreds of black eyes looking down on her, before it crashed over her in a wave and thousands of razor-sharp teeth found purchase at once." When I read this about a quarter of the way into The Beast of Barcroft I thought whoa!! James Herbert eat your heart out!! this is like a modern retelling of The Rats, 70's horror at its best.....but unfortunately that was as good as it got.......

 

The Rats was one of the first horror books I ever read and was influential in my early love of the horror genre. It was a book with a great and simple story, a rat plague strikes London, and a wonderful list of characters that instantly got me interested in the story that each had to tell. So why I am talking about The Rats when this is a review of an entirely different book? Simply put The Beast of Barcroft is unfortunately a book that will do little to ingratiate new readers to the horror genre in the way that The Rats did for me all those years ago. It is utter drivel! with characters that are instantly forgettable and a story line that had the potential to relive all those great books from so many years ago and instead  turns out to be a damp squib.

 

Ben McKelvie has moved into a new pad in Arlington Virginia with his dog Bucky, and a disorganised neighbour whose chaotic and irresponsible lifestyle is attracting all types of rodents and vermin to the streets outside his home. What more is there to say....the beast/shapeshifter arrives, takes on whatever form he chooses and terrorizes and kills a few inhabitants. So will our hero (who loves Lindsay but she is really in love with her new partner Faith, so then he loves Lisa!) save the day. Do I really care about the puerile and petty little lives of hollow and forgettable characters in some nondescript town, I can only hope that in this battle of attrition against a poor and defenceless beast that the beast wins. You will of course, dear reader, have to read the story (if you can be bothered) to find out the answer but personally I would prefer to be buried up to my neck in pig swill rather than have to endure such drivel again!

 

I cannot understand why so called horror authors have the audacity to present such poorly written rubbish for print, are all those positive reviews a fair and unbiased point of view?.....I simply state this point as the Amazon star system always makes me a little suspicious of reviewers who claim...... a very good read, compellingly creepy and well written.....well written my ar*e

 

So an honest one star from me and I'm being generous :)