Synopsis: To eight-year-old Bela, her family is her world. There’s Mommy, Daddo, and Grandma Ruth. But there is also Other Mommy, a malevolent entity who asks her every day: “Can I go inside your heart?” When horrifying incidents around the house signal that Other Mommy is growing tired of asking Bela the question over and […]
About George Dunn
Review: The Poorly Made and Other Things by Sam Rebelein
Synopsis: There’s something wrong in Renfield County. It’s in the water, the soil, the wood. But worst of all, it’s in the minds of the residents, slowly driving them mad. When Lawrence Renfield massacred his family and drew The Giant in his farmhouse with their blood, no one imagined the repercussions. At the very least, […]
Review: Witchcraft for Wayward Girls by Grady Hendrix
Synopsis: They call them wayward girls. Loose girls. Girls who grew up too fast. And they’re sent to Wellwood House in St. Augustine, Florida, where unwed mothers are hidden by their families to have their babies in secret, to give them up for adoption, and most important of all, to forget any of it ever […]
Review: Lightfall (The Everlands Trilogy #1) by Ed Crocker
Synopsis: For centuries, vampires freely roamed the land until the Grays came out of nowhere, wiping out half the population in a night. The survivors fled to the last vampire city of First Light, where the rules are simple. If you’re poor, you drink weak blood. If you’re nobility, you get the good stuff. And […]
Review: Listen to Your Sister by Neena Viel
Synopsis: Twenty-five year old Calla Williams is struggling since becoming guardian to her brother, Jamie. Calla is overwhelmed and tired of being the one who makes sacrifices to keep the family together. Jamie, full of good-natured sixteen-year-old recklessness, is usually off fighting for what matters to him or getting into mischief, often at the same […]
Review: Christmas at Wheeldale Inn by Gemma Amor
Synopsis: Christmas Eve. A horse-drawn coach battles its way through a terrible snow storm, travelling the old Roman road that cuts across Wheeldale Moor. The carriage bears the miserable burden of Mr. and Mrs. Wilcox, a formerly well-to-do couple now fleeing London and the threat of debtor’s jail, for Mr. Wilcox has been imprudent with […]
Review: A Christmas Ghost Story by Kim Newman
Synopsis: December 1st. Angie and her teenage son Rust prepare for Christmas, stringingfairy lights around their isolated home on the Somerset levels and decorating a treewith traditional ornaments. The first door of the advent calendar is opened, but the chocolate inside tastes off. Rust receives his first Christmas card; it’s unsigned, and the message is […]
Review: Our Winter Monster by Dennis Mahoney
Synopsis: For the last year, Holly and Brian have been out of sync. Neither can forget what happened that one winter evening; neither can forgive what’s happened since. Tonight, Holly and Brian race toward Pinebuck, New York, trying to outrun a blizzard on their way to the ski village getaway they hope will save their […]
George Dunn’s Top Reads of 2024
2024 has been an absolute treat for any horror reader, but, most importantly (as I am the plucky and charismatic final girl in terms of my own horror consumption) it’s been a spectacular reading year for me. In theory this should be an equally spectacular list. Here’s the deal though, narrowing down the 100+ books […]
Peter Straub’s Ghost Story: Storytelling, Shapeshifters, and The Art of Scaring Yourself Silly
There comes a time in the life of a novel when it becomes so influential and highly regarded that it becomes immune to the trivialities of ratings and reviews. Peter Straub’s “Ghost Story,” is precisely that kind of book, a spectral masterpiece that has been dissected, critiqued and praised by minds far greater than mine. […]
Review: Candy Cain Kills Again: The Second Slaying by Brian McAuley
Synopsis: She’s making a list… and chopping it twice! After surviving the horrors of Christmas Eve at the Thornton house, Austin, Mateo and Fiona head to the Church of Nodland to get some confessions from Pastor Wendell and his congregation. Little do they know that Candy Cain is coming to town to wish one and […]
Review: Candy Cain Kills by Brian McAuley
Synopsis: When Austin’s parents drag him and his little sister Fiona to a remote cottage for Christmas, he’s less than thrilled about the forced bonding exercise. But after learning that their holiday getaway was the site of a horrific crime, this family on the rocks will have to fight for their lives against a legendary […]