S.J.Budd

  I've been a big fan of Theresa Braun for a long time and finally she has released her debut short story collection featuring 13 tales of horror! One of Theresa's many talents is that she's a master of creating characters you can really connect with. These stories fell really real to me like they could be real accounts! She's also great a sprinkling a little humour in her tales too. What I really liked with this collection was the variety. There's a lot of horror covered in these tales from a variety of tropes, we have vampires, serial killers, crazy conspiracy theories, the darkness within us all. In here you'll find short tales that pack a punch and longer tales to really sink your teeth into. Whilst I loved all these tales my standout favourites were Stillborn, this tale had me enthralled it was so out there and very cleverly written. Celestial Assignment had a lot of heart as well as darkness. Guilty as Cell was also a joy to read, of a fun night out gone v...

  In this original take of a murder mystery, we meet Isobel a young woman who should have her whole life ahead of her but she is forced to live in the shadows quietly. To survive she must avoid the other people in her village. People want her gone but her life will be the same no matter where she goes. Her only refuge from the harsh life she has, are books. She reads them with a voracious appetite and takes the advice to join a local book club that meets every two weeks to discuss their favourite books. Finally she has found some friends, but soon one of her friends is murdered, then another, and she is somehow their prime suspect. This isn't the first book I've read by Sarah Jane Huntingdon. I'd read Iron Maidens and loved it which gave me high expectations for The Colour of Evil. Readers, it did not disappoint!  I've come to love Sarah's style of writing, she has a really unique of bringing her characters to life of making you care about them from the first page. ...

  In the wake of her beloved brother's death Adelaide Frost escapes her troubled home life by taking a position at Ashthorne, once a grand stately home now in the wake of The Great War it is now a convalescence home for wounded soldiers. Upon arrival doubts and suspicions begin to creep in for Adelaide. There are only four patients despite the house being huge. Adelaide is not allowed to participate in the clandestine treatments administered by Doctor Roskopf and his assistant Nurse McGovern in the damp cellar of Asthorne House. Adelaide doesn't even think Doctor Roskopf is a real doctor, the patient's conditions seem to be getting worse, she should leave this place and find employment elsewhere but then she meets Evelyn Asthorne, the daughter of the owner of the house. Quickly they fall in love and discover there are many more secrets waiting for them in Asthorne House. This is was a really quick but enjoyable read. Perfect for fans of gothic horror. I liked how the plot m...

  I've very recently watched the rather excellent Netflix series, Black Summer, a dark relentless ride of what life could be like following an apocalyptic wave spreading across the globe, and The Growth by Adam Hulse is very similar. Would society stick together when faced with a situation that could wipe out the entire human race or would they turn on each other with anger and malice? In Adam Hulse's The Growth it's definitely the latter. Trouble starts when a growth is found in the sewers, the biggest fatberg ever to be discovered. A specialist team is sent down to deal with the matter but their attempts are feeble against it. Nothing can stop the growth as is travels across the UK! As readers we get to witness this atrocity through the lives of different people fighting for their lives and for their loved ones. A woman desperately searches for her missing girlfriend, in these times its very dangerous to be on the streets as a woman, but she is a boxing champion ready to ...

  Do you love All Hallows' Eve? Ghost stories? Tales from beyond that leave you feeling unsettled while walking to the kitchen at night? The orange-and-black vintage aesthetic? Haunted houses with shuttered windows? Edited by Gaby Triana with John Palisano, this anthology of 19 short stories by some of the most terrifying name son horror is the perfect collection for a dark and stormy October night. Featuring tales to make you hide under the covers by; Jonathan Maberry, Gwendolyn Kiste, Catherine Cavendish, Tim Waggoner, Jeff Strand, Sara Tantlinger, Lee Murray, Alethea Kontis, Lisa Morton & more I already knew before I read this that I would enjoy this, this anthology has an amazing line up of lots of authors I greatly admire. Literally Dead did not disappoint I had so much fun reading this. Some stories will make you cry, some will leave in you in stitches but beware of those that will strike terror in your heart! There wasn't one story I didn't like in here. When You...

  Welcome aboard the Venus, a space ship deep in space looking for old wrecks to salvage. It's run by a very colourful all female crew and a cat. The ship badly need repairs the women need to make some money. A perfect opportunity presents itself but will they strike it rich or find disaster. Science Fiction isn't my thing but I really enjoyed reading Venus Falling by Sarah Jane Huntingdon. She's a natural story teller and adds plenty of fun and humour. It's full of really funny moments particularly from Jonesy the headstrong adrenaline seeking pilot! This is a short read so perfect for when you're between books.  The Venus is a salvage ship roaming through space searching for salvage so they can get rich. Each member of the all female crew has been made an outcast but together they form on mighty strong team. One day they are on the cusp of striking it rich when they encounter a strange cloud. Another ship is approaching also after the same prize and they must go t...

  Anchorage, Alaska. A place where people don't care if someone goes missing. A place where Leia Walker tries her hardest to hide from the world, wanting a normal without anxiety and OCD. But Leia's bubble pops when an old friend is back in town and twists Leia's reality. A bloody event proves what Leia is scared to learn - Sophie Gardner, her old high school friend and saviour from the bullies, is a vampire. Forced to run away with Sophie, Leia's life takes a terrifying turn when vampires and hunters come after them. The only thing preventing them from losing themselves is their friendship... But will it be enough to escape the inevitable blood bath? Nocturnal Blood is a vampire book like no other. I love vampires in fiction and as a a result have read so many books based on vampires. I adore Anne Rice, Dracula and even Twilight (sorry) but this book is so different to those. This is a horror book with a lot of heart and tenderness that left me with a tear in my eye. T...