Rumoured to be one of his best thrillers and, recently located in one of my local thrift shops for 80p, I thought Twas about time I gave this a go…

Twas Ok. A 700 page monster but It’s the usual Koontz premise… “A Woman (Valerie) on the run though we don’t know why, a Man (Spencer) and his rescue dog (Rocky) pursuing her for another reason who also becomes a target of the people chasing the woman and neither are who they say they are…” but at least they both had their own back stories to add some Oomph to the book else it would’ve been pretty boring. Not one of his that I’d recommend but probably a definite read for hardcore Koontz fans.

Todays charity shop Deal of the Day…

Started this one yesterday, another of my recent freebies. I’ve seen the movie adaptation which is pretty good but like most of them, the book is usually better so… Let’s find out…

“Yesterday, Snowfield, California was a charming little town basking in the golden afternoon sun. Today, as Jennifer Paige and her younger sister Lisa terrifyingly discover, it’s a place of nightmares. An ancient force has spirited away almost the entire population of the town and left the bodies of those remaining bizarrely disfigured. What hope can there be for the few still left alive?”

Really enjoyed this. I’d say it’s one of his best!

One of my recent Freebie Bargains from that charitable little Devon village.

“Glenn drove the Land Rover into a stone wall at just over 100mph. Alice stuck a meat fork through her hand and pinned it to the chopping board. Brenda just did whatever she was told, as did many others. They were all compelled by a fear too great to be remembered, enslaved by a power that no person should ever wield”

Yeah. This is Ok. As far as I know it’s an original synopsis (let me know if I’m wrong) its also something that every single one of us would love to possess though I won’t spoil it by saying more but this is definitely one of his better ones and it’s pretty short too😎👍🏻

This book is a MUST OWN for any fan of The Master of Horror. End of.

Oh! How I’ve heard so many good reviews about this book “You’ve gotta read this” “It’s So Good” “Terrifying” “Not for the faint hearted” Yeah, Okay, I get the picture! So it’s been on my TBR list for some months now but I hadn’t owned a copy until now, finally found one in a thrift store for only a Quid so now Yes! I’m gonna read this. Hopefully it will be “Terrifyingly Scary” and will “Scare the hell outta me!”

“For the scouts of Troop 52, three days of camping, hiking and survival lessons on Falstaff Island is as close as they’ll get to a proper holiday. But when an emancipated figure stumbles into their camp asking for food, the trip takes a horrifying turn. The man is nit just hungry, he’s sick. Sick in a way they have never seen before. Cut off from the mainland, the troop face a terror far worse than anything they could’ve made up around a camp fire. To survive they will have to fight their fears, the elements and eventually… Each other!”

Yeah it’s Okay. Pretty Good tbh but not at all scary. Though it was a little gross at times (very few) and it would probably be terrifying if you were a member of that Troop and had to deal with what they dealt with, that aside it’s pretty tame but it’s still an enjoyable read. I wouldn’t say it’s a must read for any fan of horror fiction but it’s certainly not a wasted read.

“They we’re all there that winter, but someone will go to any lengths to protect the truth. Who is guilty and who is innocent? The secrets of the past are about to come out”

Sounds good don’t it? But it isn’t. It’s one like so many others before it, a limited number of characters, easy to figure out twists, blah blah blah but not as good as most of them. Not a debut thriller I’d recommend and not gonna be anticipating her next book either…

This is the first anthology of his that I’ve read, for all I know it could be the only anthology he’s ever written?!! Maybe someone could let me know. Anyways.

Here we go… Story by Story…

Strange Highways:- Quarter way through… So far So Good. Finished now, Yes it was pretty good, it could’ve been really good had it not been for the “happening” being repeated as often as it was. That ruined this, what easily could’ve been, the best story of the whole book but still pretty decent

The Black Pumpkin:- Good. But sadly predictable.

Miss Atilla the Hun:- Yeah, this was okay. Vaguely similar to other shorts I’ve read but enjoyable none the least.

Down in the Darkness:- This is pretty good. I’d love one of these in my house, I’d have a pretty big list too!

Ollie’s Hands:- Loved this story. Oh how I wish for the gift that he has!

Snatcher:- Yeah, this is okay. The original concept makes it more enjoyable too.

Trapped:- This is Basically is a “Watchers” novella. Boring.

Bruno:- The only way to describe this is as: A Multiverse Hard Case Crime novella. Twas okay though.

We Three:- The shortest in the collection and in my opinion The Worst bar “Night of the Storm”

Hardshell:- Just another shape shifting battle.

Kittens:- Short but Blunt. Nowt so terrifying as a woman scorned… whatever her age.

The Night of the Storm:- Absolute Crap. Worst in this collection. Hate this fiction. Had I known I’d never have read it.

Twilight of the Dawn:- This is Good. My favourite alongside “Down in the Darkness” this is a story of stubbornness and beliefs and how it effects everyday lives.