Out of Darkness They Came by Gene Penny

 If you're looking for something equal parts suspense, mystery, humor, supernatural with a pinch of yuck, this is it!

My thoughts:

This book isn't exactly what I expected but was a pleasant surprise. There's action, suspense, supernatural and simply some oddities that made it both funny and a nail biter. A group of students and a few adults are in a high school during the wee hours of the morning when a series of strange occurrences start to happen. As a high school biology teacher who is an hour early ever day, before the sun is up, the sky outside is black, I'm in my classroom preparing for the day. I know what those times feel like and the authors descriptions were so very appropriate and true. They had me laughing.

Gene Penny is a very talented writer. The descriptions were spot on and done with finesse. The characters were three dimensional, mind you I didn't like them all. But if a book is written appropriately I won't like them all. There was more language in it than I personally care for and even though the narrator was good, great pacing, I was a bit unnerved by the male to female voices. That's probably more of a personal listening thing.

The story was great! I'd recommend it to anyone who enjoys mystery, suspense and/or the supernatural.

AMAZON

The Bog by Michael Talbot

A science wrapped thriller!



My Review:
This story started out slow and very technical. David the main character is an archeologist who found a perfectly preserved body in a bog. The first couple chapters read almost like a textbook. For a fiction story I thought it was excessive but the story eventually gets very exciting and intense.

David moves his family to the small town where his dig sight and the bog are. They move into a cottage there not far from the bog.The residents of the town aren't welcoming of strangers and there's a atmosphere of sadness that hangs over the city. Odd and unexplainable events occur at the cottage like their dog dissapears. David's son becomes quiet and reserved. The cottage at tims smells like death and more. 

For me I think the first couple chapters were too much and might have been better spread troughout the book. I love science but it was too much even for me. I found myself skipping over it. Aside from that the story has a great plot that was unique and characterization. The author brings everything to life. The suspense piqued my curiosity.


Overall, this is a really good book.

Amazon/Audible

Warlock for Hire by Sean Stone

Original and lots of fun!



Review:
Sen is a witch in a dying town founded by her ancestors because it sits atop a magic vortex. She's an out of practice witch who is annoyed by her spunky aunt. She works at the newspaper but rarely is there and is engaged to the current mayor and long time boyfriend. Her family is having a grand opening to their hotel as they're trying to bring income to the dying town. When someone dies the day of the grand opening things get a little sticky.

Her ornary aunt was really my favorite character and the only one who seemed to have a handle on things. I also enjoyed the ghost grandmother, neat twist. Overall the book is fun and light. It's something that can be listenened to with someone any age. The narrator's voice didn't quite cut it for me. She was too airy sounding. 


Overall it's a cute story. Not at all a bad choice for a family road trip.

Amazon