Horror – K. J. Farnham

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Sucked in from the very first page, I had a hard time putting this one down until I finished it.

Convicted cult leader locked up in a maximum security prison (for murdering two and convincing eight others to take their own lives) wants to tell his side of the story to a true crime writer? Yes, please. Tell me everything! Unfortunately, things don’t go as crime writer Lucas Graham expects them to.

My favorite thing about this book is the way Ahlborn set up the chapters, alternating between past and present and throwing in newspaper articles, police reports, and paranormal investigative reports. It could not have been an easy feat for her to keep all of the details straight and tie everything together, but she pulled it off brilliantly. Up until around 80%, this book was a solid 5-star read for me. Without spoilers, I can’t explain why the ending didn’t satisfy me the way the rest of the book did, so let’s just say the turn it took wasn’t for me. Even so, the final chapter was pretty darn clever, and I love Ahlborn’s style.

I highly recommend this one to those of you who are looking for a great suspense thriller with a paranormal slant and are intrigued by stories about cults. Just keep in mind that you might have a difficult time pulling yourself away to do other things. (Like eat or shower, for example.)

AMAZON

GOODREADS

Book Reviews

Book Review: Brother by Ania Ahlborn

January 11, 2016April 30, 2019 K. J. Farnham

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“Hey, have you heard this one before? Two serial killers walk into a record store…”

Brother is a faced-paced psychological thriller. Its hillbilly serial killer theme reminded me of movies like The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Deliverance, and The Hills Have Eyes. However, it wasn’t just about a bunch of degenerate killers looking for their next victim. As the title suggests, it was more about the relationship between brothers Reb and Michael and why Reb thrives on making Michael’s life miserable.

Ahlborn didn’t waste any time introducing the deranged family in this book. There’s Momma (the ringleader of the bunch), Wade (the dad and enabler), Reb (the psychopathic brother), Misty Dawn (the innocent sister), and then there’s Michael. While Michael is part of the family, he isn’t related by blood. And unlike Momma, Wade and Reb, Michael actually has a conscience and longs for normalcy. Ahlborn did a great job of making me like and sympathize with Michael.

The chapters flow together seamlessly and rotate between Michael’s perspective, Reb’s perspective, and flashbacks that clue readers in on why Reb hates Michael so much. The vivid characters combined with the brutal acts carried out by several of them scared the crap out of me, and most of the twists and turns blew my mind.

If you like serial killer books and don’t mind gore and a bit of torture, I highly recommend this book.

GOODREADS

AMAZON

Book Reviews

Book Review: The Beast of Barcroft by Bill Schweigart

November 13, 2015April 30, 2019 K. J. Farnham

The Beast of Barcroft gave me the heebie jeebies yet still managed to make me chuckle at times. It starts out with a public health employee who is tasked with remedying the pest control problem in Barcroft. Residents have been up in arms for quite some time over the issue, which was caused by the strange habits of one particular (recently deceased) neighbor. Even though this neighbor passed away, the problem persists because her decrepit house serves as a sanctuary for the critters. Besides the rats, other small vermin have also moved in, supposedly making the community a target for larger predators. It is the reported sighting of one of these predators that prompts the previously mentioned public health employee to investigate. What he finds ends up being unfortunate for him, and it is also what drives the plot of this unique story.

I found myself engrossed in this book for a number of reasons.

An amusing cast of characters
A down-on-his-luck hero you can’t help but like
Witty dialogue
A creepy, critter-infested house
A bloodthirsty creature (possibly creatures) on the loose

A good portion of the story focuses on the pursuit of the creature that killed the public health employee (as well as others eventually). Is it a mountain lion? A large dog? A wolf? Without giving anything away, the answer is yes and no. And this is where the horror aspect of the story faded for me. While I loved the characters and the buildup leading to the big reveal, the identity of the creature disappointed me because I don’t understand where it came from. Even though the ending wasn’t for me, I still recommend this book to readers who enjoy horror, suspense, and paranormal elements.

Overall, The Beast of Barcroft is a good book, and I intend to read more from Schweigart.