Review: All Hallows by Christopher Golden

Author: Christopher Golden
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Publication Date: January 2023

It’s Halloween night, 1984, in Coventry, Massachusetts, and two families are unraveling. Up and down the street, horrifying secrets are being revealed, and all the while, mixed in with the trick-or-treaters of all ages, four children who do not belong are walking door to door, merging with the kids of Parmenter Road. Children in vintage costumes with faded, eerie makeup. They seem terrified, and beg the neighborhood kids to hide them away, to keep them safe from The Cunning Man. There’s a small clearing in the woods now that was never there before, and a blackthorn tree that doesn’t belong at all. These odd children claim that The Cunning Man is coming for them...and they want the local kids to protect them. But with families falling apart and the neighborhood splintered by bitterness, who will save the children of Parmenter Road?

All Hallows takes place in the early 80s on Halloween Night.  The night when the dead come back and evil sprits roam free.  But for a couple of families in one neighborhood it's just another Halloween night filled with neighborhood secrets and family issues.  While I liked the book, I didn't love it.

I was hoping for a great Halloween ghost story.  But it didn't live up to my expectations.  It was definitely gory for a horror story.  The kids were creepy and I did like the atmosphere.  I also liked that not everyone was safe.  Characters that I wouldn't have expected to die, actually did.  However, the book suffered from way too many perspectives.  I couldn't keep them all straight. There was way too much drama for one neighborhood. I'm still not exactly clear on what exactly the "lore" was behind the events.  I wanted more of an explanation.  It's not awful, I did ultimately have a good time reading it.  I just didn't love it like I was hoping I would.

Review: The Pandora Room by Christopher Golden

Author: Christopher Golden
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Publication Date: April 2019

In one ancient variation on the myth of Pandora's Box, there were two jars, one for Pandora and one for her sister, Anesidora. One contained all the blessings of the gods, the other all the world's curses. Now, in a subterranean city in Northern Iraq, archaeologist Sophie Durand has discovered a secret chamber covered in writing that confirms that version of the tale--a chamber which contains a single jar. "Weird shit" expert Ben Walker joins Sophie's team just as the mystery deepens and grows ugly. Those who believe the myth want to know which jar has been found in the Pandora Room, the one containing blessings, or the one full of curses. Governments rush to lay claim, but jihadi forces aren't waiting for the dust to settle. Whatever the jar contains, they want it, no matter who they have to kill...or what will emerge when they open it. For Sophie, Walker, and the others, the Pandora Room may soon become their tomb.

The Pandora Room is the second book featuring DARPA operative Ben Walker.  This time around, he is called to Iraq to investigate an unusual find in an archaeological dig. If Ben Walker is on the case, you know the find has the potential to be dangerous.

While I enjoyed this one, I didn't like it was much as the first book, Ararat.  There were some creepy scenes and moments that I was holding my breath waiting to see who would make it out alive.  I also still like Ben Walker as a character. I fewlt like I got to know him a little better in this book.  Kim,from the first book, is in this one was well.  She is suffering from PTSD from the events of the first book.  I thought that was fairly realistic because you would expect there to be residual effects from a horrifying experience.'  I"m not sure I loved where their relationship went here.

The story overall, was just kind of OK.  I kind of felt like there wasn't anything very unique about it.  It really reminded me of the first book, right down to the evil and the possessions.  I wish the story was in a different setting.  Once again, they are isolated and have to go through harrowing conditions to escape.  Hopefully, the next book will be a fresh story.  I do like this character and I want to see what he does next.

Review: Ararat by Christopher Golden

Author: Christopher Golden
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Publication date: April 2017

When a newly engaged couple climbs Mount Ararat in Turkey, an avalanche forces them to seek shelter inside a massive cave uncovered by the snow fall. The cave is actually an ancient, buried ship that many quickly come to believe is really Noah’s Ark. When a team of scholars, archaeologists, and filmmakers make it inside the ark for the first time, they discover an elaborate coffin in its recesses. The artifact tempts their professional curiosity; so they break it open. Inside, they find an ugly, misshapen cadaver—not the holy man that they expected, a hideous creature with horns. A massive blizzard blows in, trapping them in that cave thousands of meters up the side of a remote mountain…but they are not alone. 

It's October and I have been in the mood for horror.  I had high hopes for this book. While it fell a little short of my expectations, I did enjoy it. Ararat is the first book to feature Ben Walker.  He is a secret agent for DARPA who is sent out to investigate odd discoveries to assess their usefulness as a weapon for or as a threat to the US government.  When there is an earthquake in Turkey, he is sent to investigate a cave the might contain the elusive Noah's Ark.

The one thing that I did enjoy about this book was the way the author set the atmosphere.  I could almost feel the cold snow and biting wind.  I was immediately immersed in the tension and suspense that permeated the cave.  There were a lot of characters and aside from our main character, Ben Walker,  no one person was safe from anything or anyone.  In a way it reminded me of the movie The Thing where you never know who to trust.  I love books like that.

I did like Ben Walker as a main character.  I felt like I got to know him and his motivations fairly well.  I cared about whether he would be left alive in the end.  I am looking forward to reading the next book that features him, The Pandora Room.    As far as the horror aspect,  it was a bit gory.  If you don't like "blood and guts" murder, you won't like this one.   That all being said, I did find it a little predictable, especially the little twist ending.  It was exactly what I predicted would happen.    In all, it was a good start to get me in a spooky mindset for the month.

Review: Dead Ringers by Christopher Golden

Author: Christopher Golden
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Date of publication: November 2015

When Tess Devlin runs into her ex-husband Nick on a Boston sidewalk, she's furious at him for pretending he doesn't know her. She calls his cell to have it out with him, only to discover that he's in New Hampshire with his current girlfriend. But if Nick's in New Hampshire...who did she encounter on the street?

Frank Lindbergh's dreams have fallen apart. He wanted to get out of the grim neighborhood where he'd grown up and out of the shadow of his alcoholic father. Now both his parents are dead and he's back in his childhood home, drinking too much himself. As he sets in motion his plans for the future, he's assaulted by an intruder in his living room...an intruder who could be his twin.

In an elegant hotel, Tess will find mystery and terror in her own reflection. Outside a famed mansion on Beacon Hill, people are infected with a diabolical malice...while on the streets, an eyeless man, dressed in rags, searches for a woman who wears Tess's face.

Dead Ringers was an unexpected surprise for my Halloween season reading.  It follows a group of people who realize that there are people in the city with their own faces.  These strangers are almost better and more perfect versions of themselves.  The story is told through a few different characters' perspectives. Even thought there were multiple characters, each one had a unique voice, so it wasn't hard to keep them straight.  It is set in Boston and it was fun to read a book set in a city I know well.

I found this to be a unique take on the doppelganger story-line.   I thought this story was going to go one way, but it ended up down a different path.  While I wouldn't say it was a horror book or very scary in that sense, it was definitely creepy.   It's a hard book to talk plot without giving anything away.  I did ended up getting sucked into the book right way and wanted to race to the finish.  There was a nice little twist at the end that added to the creep factor and I loved it.  I definitely recommend this one.  I would love to see this made into a movie.