Month: October 2018

Haunted: Horror of Haverfordwest by G.L. Davies in not for the faint of heart! Which I clearly am!

This book is a true horror story where things REALLY did go bump in the night. Haunted is the prequel to author G.L. Davies’ own experiences in a house in Haverfordwest, Wales in which he stayed and almost died in. His first book A Most Haunted House came out in 2013 and was an e-book bestseller which chronicles his paranormal experiences, depression and drinking problem while living there.

After his book began to get noticed, a couple contacted him and said they had bought and lived in the same house back in 1989 and had similar experiences which nearly broke them up. After getting approval from the current owner of the house who does not actually live there, but rents it out, and under condition that the house and street would never be divulged, Davies confirmed the information of the couple only known as Dai and Anne, and their ownership of the house in the ’80’s. This is their story.

There experiences in the house range from a bathroom which was so cold you could see your breath, to noises coming from different rooms which would leave one to believe there were other people in the house. There is a tall shadow figure who seems to border on demonic who they call “The Angry Man”. Their radio and TV become filled with static for no reason and voices seem to be heard when the radio has this static. There are also visions Anne has of people who they believe to have lived in the house centuries prior and are trapped there.

I don’t want to give away anymore than I feel I should as I believe the reader should experience what the couple does first hand. This story gave me chills while reading it and chills as I thought about it as I walked my own house at night.

Haunted: Horror of Haverfordwest is just plain creepy! You have been forewarned! The book comes out December 1. Thank you #NetGalley #Haunted: Horror of Haverfordwest

Golden Child by Claire Adam is a book which will haunt you for days, as it has me. So much so I needed time to decompress and really think hard about the multifaceted story.

Set in Trinidad, the story follows the lives of twin boys, Peter and Paul, born to parents Clyde and Joy in a very rural area of the country. One twin, Peter, develops into an extraordinary child who excels at everything he does and with the temperament of a saint. The other twin, Paul, is seen as slow and odd with much social anxiety. Although unable to keep up with his brother in school, their mother insists on keeping the twins together in the accelerated classes so Peter can protect Paul.

One day Paul does not come home from a walk. Hence begins the disturbing, heart stopping climax to the story when their father must make a decision no parent would ever imagine ever having to make. A decision which when presented with life or death how does one choose? and can you ever be ready for the consequences of those actions.

I would highly recommend this book.

A special thank you to SJP for Hogarth on the advanced read. The book will be out on January 29, 2019. If you enjoyed this review please visit my blog at http://www.lisascubby.com for more reviews. Thank you and happy reading!

The Whispered Word by Ellery Adams is Book 2 in the Secret, Book & Scone Society series.

I am new to author Ellery Adams and came across her accidently last Christmas when I read Secret, Book & Scone Society.  She is also the author of a few other series books which when time permits I would love to delve into.  I enjoyed both books as well as her writing style and how she is able to combine a good cozy mystery with an uplifting feel good story.

The series is about Nora Pennington who arrived in Miracle Springs, North Carolina after fleeing her old life after a tragic accident occurred which not only changed who she is on inside, but she also carries the scars of her old life on the outside.

She opened a bookstore called Miracle Books and became friends with a group on women who each had their own sad or tragic past.  They named themselves the Secret, Book & Scone Society.

In The Whispered Word, Nora finds a girl named Abilene hiding in her bookshop.  Frightened and physically abused, she and her friends in the Society take her in and try to heal her.  They get her a job and find her a place to live.  The story of how she came to be in Miracle Springs is a mystery in itself.

In the meantime, one of Nora’s customers is found dead by suicide just as an antique dealership arrives in town. Residents, who just had a massive economic downfall are eager to sell their wares at the on-line store. Then another death occurs.  Who is Abilene? Was the first death really suicide? Could they possibly be connected? We begin to see the pieces of a very complex puzzle begin to fit together.

The Whispered Word does not disappoint.  It is a terrific mystery with lots of heart.  Each of the women in the Society have had pasts which they are still running from.

I would recommend reading the first book of the series first, although the second book does relay some of the details from the first.

Look for the book on November 27.  Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy.

Stuck in Manistique by Dennis Cuesta is a magical story about a man named Mark whose estranged Aunt Vivian has passed away and left her estate to him. This includes a Bed and Breakfast in Manistique, which is in the Upper Peninsula on Lake Michigan.

Mark, who lives in Chicago, decides not to open the Bed and Breakfast but rather sell it. But people begin knocking on the B&B’s door and Mark cannot turn them away. It does seem though once you check in, you don’t want to check out, or can’t check or some never check out…

Emily, who is a doctor is his first guest. After hitting a deer on the highway she must wait for her car to be repaired, She shows up looking for a room for one night. Thus begins Mark’s adventure with some pretty eccentric guests. While learning to manage a Bed and Breakfast he tries to learn about his aunt as his last correspondence with her was when he was a teenager. Emily soon begins to realizes she too has a connection to Vivian.

All strangers when they meet, the guest’s lives intertwine under the backdrop of a small cozy town where everybody knows everybody and the pie at Diner 37 is exceptional.

I had the feeling I was not reading a book, but watching episodes of a soap opera sitcom with the fast paced dialogue. It was an enjoyable read. The book will be available October 29.

The Hope Chest by Viola Shipman is a heart wrenching story about death, the importance of family, saying goodbye, but most importantly Hope.

Mattie Tice has had a wonderful life for the most part. She was a talented painter and garden designer who although was never blessed with any children has had the love of her life Don for the past 50 years. But Mattie is dying. She has ALS and with each passing day although her mind is razor sharp, her body is failing her. But she is not ready to let go.

Rose is a broken woman who has lost all hope. She lost both her parents, their fruit stand, and is hanging on by a thread trying to stay in the house she grew up. She is a single parent to young daughter Jeri.

Rose becomes the caretaker to Mattie when Don finally agrees he needs some assistance taking care of her. A long forgotten hope chest is uncovered in Mattie’s and Don’s lake home, Hope Dunes, which they are selling. Through items long forgotten in the chest, such as an apron, a vase and even an autograph by Judy Garland, Mattie begins to reconcile her life with death.

Rose begins to see hope from Mattie’s stories and Don who has been grieving the loss of his wife since her initial diagnosis, begins to have hope that she will be at peace and he will be with her again one day.

And a special lesson…sometimes you can have more than one family in a lifetime.

The Hope Chest captures the heartbreak of an illness such as ALS and all that comes with it from losing friends who don’t know what to say or do, to the effects such a condition has on the body and mind. But with all that said “hope” is the driving force in the story for each character as they face terrible challenges. This book will certainly tug at your heart.

The book is now out in paperback and kindle.