Mindy's Book Journey

  Title: It Was Her House First  Author: Cherie Priest Genre: Horror Published: 07/22/25 by Poisoned Pen Press Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the copy for review.   When Ronnie buys a huge dilapidated mansion to renovate with the inheritance from her brother she doesn't realize the blood soaked history of the house. The vengeful spirit of the former owner, Venita Rost a silent film star, is waking with the new activity in the house. This is a fun haunted house novel with duel timelines, and multiple points of view. As Ronnie discovers the history of her new project house the story also introduces the POV of multiple ghosts. The ghosts become really well fleshed out characters, and the story feels rich without taking itself too seriously. This is not what I would call a scary story. The tragic uncovering of the mystery, super strong female main characters, and a unnerving depiction of grief are all highlights from the story that had me hooked. If you like...

  Title: Requiem Author: John Palisano Genre: Science Fiction Horror Published: 05/27/25 by Flame Tree Press Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the copy for review.    Ava is part of a small crew stationed on Eden a moon-sized cemetery in space. If they are to keep their sanity or even their lives Ava will need to take on a cosmic entity who has taken hold in Eden. A satellite with hundreds of dead people in space has to be the perfect  setting for a horror novel. Add in a cosmic entity messing with  minds of the dead and living, and you have the greatest premise I have heard in quite some time. The characters are diverse and interesting. I thought the psychological attacks went on a bit too long before answers are given, but overall I really enjoyed this book. If you like very psychological science fiction horror stories than this one might be for you.  My Rating: 3.5 out of 5 Stars 

  Title: Sacrilege Author: Barbara Avon Genre: Psychological Thriller   Published: 10/26/2020 by the author Thank you to the author for providing the copy for review. Cris Corelli is an ex-priest, recently leaving the church and struggling with alcoholism, finds himself living in a boarding house run by Jules. Jules is also fighting her own traumatic past. The two lean on each other for support, but after a horrible tragedy they plunge into a pit of despair fueled by drugs and alcohol. This book is pitch black dark. It is intense involving every trigger warning in the book, but written in the most beautiful way. It is the kind of book that can have you rereading passages to enjoy the beauty of the words even though the content is hard to read at some points. I would highly recommend this psychological thriller to those that love a character study of truly tortured people.  My Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars 

  Title: In Darkest Dreams Author: J.P. Graves Genre: Horror Published: 09/15/2024 by Twisted Tree Publishing Thank you to the author for providing a copy for review. Mark and Steve are veterans and friends that sign up to man a fire-watch tower in the mountains of Wyoming. During a storm the men get more than they bargained for when a reality bending creature begins stalking them forcing them to face all the secrets and trauma they have hidden deep inside themselves. In Darkest Dreams has great character work and setting. The forests of Wyoming create the perfect isolated setting to build the tension as the truly terrifying creature arrives. Mark and Steve have really sad backstories that really get the reader invested in where the story will end up. The powers of the creature force the characters to face all their darkest fears and secrets. It is a really effective horror story for fans of creature features. My Rating: 4.25 out of 5 Stars 

  Title: The Witch Roads Author:   Kate Elliott Series: The Witch Roads Duology Book 1 Genre: Fantasy Published: June 10, 2025 by Tor Books Thank you to Tor and NetGalley for the copy for review.   An arrogant prince is stuck at Orledder Hall, and needs the help of Elen to get his party through the hills to his destination.  This is a fantastic start to a duology full of political intrigue. It has really rich world building that we find out about through a treacherous journey. It is wonderful learning about the politics, religion, magic, class system, and lore of the world in such an exciting way. There is great character building focusing on themes of found family, gender, and class. This was a fantastic start to a series, and I highly recommend it for those that love epic fantasy. My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars   

   Title: Alt Vegas: Nuclear Dreams Author: Wren Cavanagh Genre: Horror Published: September 28, 2024 I received a copy for review from the author.    Kyle and Mandy have dreams making a profit by developing when they purchase land in Esperville, Oregon. Soon they find out the land is home to a portal to another dimension stuck in 1950s Las Vegas. It is a hard place with unforgiving desert and fiendish creatures. This a fantastic creature feature horror novel with an alternate dimension flair. The characters, Kyle and Mandy, did not seem sympathetic at first as foolhardy newlyweds taking on more than they can chew. However, throughout the story they become more and more endearing. They are great underdog characters to root for. The portal to Alt Vegas allows for such contrasting settings. The lush and overgrown Oregon with the desert landscape outside 1950s Vegas. The last fourth of the book could have used another round of line editing, but overall this was a fantas...