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Terror is Our Business: Dana Roberts' Casebook of Horrors by Kasey Lansdale, Joe R. Lansdale
abookwormwithwine's review against another edition
4.0
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 5
Well I have to say that I don't read much horror, but when I heard [b:Terror is Our Business: Dana Roberts' Casebook of Horrors|39357320|Terror is Our Business Dana Roberts' Casebook of Horrors|Joe R. Lansdale|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1521839790s/39357320.jpg|61021960] by [a:Joe R. Lansdale|58971|Joe R. Lansdale|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1200406474p2/58971.jpg] and his daughter Kasey was a collection of short stories/cases of a paranormal investigator I said sign me up! The concept of a paranormal investigator is different from anything I have ever read, and I really enjoyed it.
Terror Is Our Business focuses on a supernatural investigator named Dana who prefers to be called a supernormal investigator because all her cases are just things we have yet to understand. You get reminded of this a lot which did get on my nerves a little. In the intro from Joe Lansdale he does mention that each of the stories (or cases if you will) are meant to be read once per day or once per week, so maybe the book is written based on the thinking we forgot? Either way, it got a little repetitive for me and I think they could have left it out after the first time.
Anyway, most of the cases are told as Dana speaking to a "men's" club - think cigars, drinking, and food but with a couple of women members - but the last 2 are with her new assistant Jana (created by Kasey), and the story before those is all Jana and her first experience with the "supernormal." I did love the comic relief Jana provided as Dana can be a bit stiff as a character. However, and I'm sure this will be an unpopular opinion, I actually tended to prefer the club stories because you got case details only, plus they were straight and to the point as opposed to reading about all of Jana's thoughts and actions.
The cases were full of creepiness, weirdness, and sometimes a bit of gore, but I didn't get that horror vibe that I was expecting. There are definitely some intense scenes, but I wasn't scared in a way I usually am with full blown horror. I think this is a good book for people that don't normally read the genre but kind of want to get their feet wet so to speak.
I loved that both Kasey and her father were involved in the writing of this book - the family that writes horror together stays together? I really didn't want it to end because I was having so much fun reading it. I really hope there is more Jana and Dana (or at least Dana) in the near future.
Final Thought: While the book was a bit repetitive at times and I didn't feel like this was really horror, I still seriously enjoyed Terror Is Our Business. This is the first time I've read anything from [a:Joe R. Lansdale|58971|Joe R. Lansdale|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1200406474p2/58971.jpg] and I hear it is very different from his usual work. I might go back and read some of his books, but I just really love the idea of a paranormal investigator who is a seriously strong female character. All I know is I want more Dana pronto, and I'm going to be very sad if I don't see this character again.
Terror Is Our Business in 3-ish words: Page-Turner, Spine-Tingling, Mysterious
Well I have to say that I don't read much horror, but when I heard [b:Terror is Our Business: Dana Roberts' Casebook of Horrors|39357320|Terror is Our Business Dana Roberts' Casebook of Horrors|Joe R. Lansdale|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1521839790s/39357320.jpg|61021960] by [a:Joe R. Lansdale|58971|Joe R. Lansdale|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1200406474p2/58971.jpg] and his daughter Kasey was a collection of short stories/cases of a paranormal investigator I said sign me up! The concept of a paranormal investigator is different from anything I have ever read, and I really enjoyed it.
Terror Is Our Business focuses on a supernatural investigator named Dana who prefers to be called a supernormal investigator because all her cases are just things we have yet to understand. You get reminded of this a lot which did get on my nerves a little. In the intro from Joe Lansdale he does mention that each of the stories (or cases if you will) are meant to be read once per day or once per week, so maybe the book is written based on the thinking we forgot? Either way, it got a little repetitive for me and I think they could have left it out after the first time.
Anyway, most of the cases are told as Dana speaking to a "men's" club - think cigars, drinking, and food but with a couple of women members - but the last 2 are with her new assistant Jana (created by Kasey), and the story before those is all Jana and her first experience with the "supernormal." I did love the comic relief Jana provided as Dana can be a bit stiff as a character. However, and I'm sure this will be an unpopular opinion, I actually tended to prefer the club stories because you got case details only, plus they were straight and to the point as opposed to reading about all of Jana's thoughts and actions.
The cases were full of creepiness, weirdness, and sometimes a bit of gore, but I didn't get that horror vibe that I was expecting. There are definitely some intense scenes, but I wasn't scared in a way I usually am with full blown horror. I think this is a good book for people that don't normally read the genre but kind of want to get their feet wet so to speak.
I loved that both Kasey and her father were involved in the writing of this book - the family that writes horror together stays together? I really didn't want it to end because I was having so much fun reading it. I really hope there is more Jana and Dana (or at least Dana) in the near future.
Final Thought: While the book was a bit repetitive at times and I didn't feel like this was really horror, I still seriously enjoyed Terror Is Our Business. This is the first time I've read anything from [a:Joe R. Lansdale|58971|Joe R. Lansdale|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1200406474p2/58971.jpg] and I hear it is very different from his usual work. I might go back and read some of his books, but I just really love the idea of a paranormal investigator who is a seriously strong female character. All I know is I want more Dana pronto, and I'm going to be very sad if I don't see this character again.
Terror Is Our Business in 3-ish words: Page-Turner, Spine-Tingling, Mysterious
spookishmommy's review against another edition
2.0
Thank you, Smith Publicity for providing all the #nightworms free copies of Terror is Our Business to read and review!
TIOB was my first Joe Lansdale reading experience. In the beginning, Joe recommends reading one story a day or one per week which I think is a fantastic way to go about this. I read about one story a day and it helped to break up the stories and not feel they were overlapping.
I enjoyed most of the stories, they were spooky. And while I understand that the style is purposely "stiff" I couldn't help but be a bit bored by it. Also, there was a lot of repeating of certain words and descriptions that get kind of annoying.
I thought the stories picked up and got a lot more fun once Jana (Kaseys character) arrive. If you like detective type stories that deal with the SUPERNORMAL (and you dont mind being reminded what supernormal is every story,hehe) then I recommend this to you!
TIOB was my first Joe Lansdale reading experience. In the beginning, Joe recommends reading one story a day or one per week which I think is a fantastic way to go about this. I read about one story a day and it helped to break up the stories and not feel they were overlapping.
I enjoyed most of the stories, they were spooky. And while I understand that the style is purposely "stiff" I couldn't help but be a bit bored by it. Also, there was a lot of repeating of certain words and descriptions that get kind of annoying.
I thought the stories picked up and got a lot more fun once Jana (Kaseys character) arrive. If you like detective type stories that deal with the SUPERNORMAL (and you dont mind being reminded what supernormal is every story,hehe) then I recommend this to you!
oddandbookish's review against another edition
3.0
This was a fun collection of spooky short stories.
In the introduction, Joe Lansdale recommends spreading out your reading of the stories and I agree with that. Like he mentions in the intro, the stories follow a similar structure so reading them over time is definitely the better option. Otherwise, it is easy to tire of them.
Personally, I really loved Jana as a character. I felt more of a connection with her than I did with Dana. Jana was more relatable and added a nice dash of humor to the stories. My favorite story from the whole collection was the Jana solo story, “Blind Love.” That story felt very modern and fresh. That being said, aside from “Blind Love” my favorite stories were the Dana solo stories. Jana was great in the other stories, but I didn’t find the plots of them to be as interesting as the earlier Dana stories.
I also was happy that this book centered on female leads since you don’t always see that in the horror genre.
As for the horror level of this book, it is pretty mild. So if you are a scaredy cat, you’ll still be able to enjoy this collection.
Overall, this is a great collection of stories if you are in the mood for some paranormal mysteries.
In the introduction, Joe Lansdale recommends spreading out your reading of the stories and I agree with that. Like he mentions in the intro, the stories follow a similar structure so reading them over time is definitely the better option. Otherwise, it is easy to tire of them.
Personally, I really loved Jana as a character. I felt more of a connection with her than I did with Dana. Jana was more relatable and added a nice dash of humor to the stories. My favorite story from the whole collection was the Jana solo story, “Blind Love.” That story felt very modern and fresh. That being said, aside from “Blind Love” my favorite stories were the Dana solo stories. Jana was great in the other stories, but I didn’t find the plots of them to be as interesting as the earlier Dana stories.
I also was happy that this book centered on female leads since you don’t always see that in the horror genre.
As for the horror level of this book, it is pretty mild. So if you are a scaredy cat, you’ll still be able to enjoy this collection.
Overall, this is a great collection of stories if you are in the mood for some paranormal mysteries.
motherhorror's review against another edition
2.0
Thank you to Lauren Roberts at Smith Publicity for sending the #nightworms an advanced copy of Terror is Our Business in exchange for honest reviews.
Having spent a majority of my reading time in the horror genre exclusively since September of last year, I feel like the genre has seeped into my bones and wrapped my brain in a fine residue by which everything I read is filtered through and judged by.
That being said, the standard at this point is high.
At first, this book was not doing it for me. Our protagonist, Dana, is a "debunker"/investigator of the supernormal and an invited guest at a skeptical men's social club. The story telling is so dry here, the technique of sharing Dana's experiences with unexplained events so basic, that nothing was scary or creepy--it read almost as a clinical/sterile story sharing--I found myself wanting to skim over the words.
I was told by my Night Worms crew that I should hang in there and wait until Kasey, Joe Lansdale's daughter, contributed.
Halfway through, Dana introduces her partner Jana (Kasey's character) and things do liven up with Jana's POV. However, I really wanted this to fix the whole reading experience but it just didn't quite get me there.
I'm not sure who I would recommend this collection to--perhaps Lansdale fans who want all of Lansdale's works?
But I don't think so because I've read some of his stories and there is a raw, edgy, pull-no-punches style to his writing that is totally lacking here.
Horror fans? No...this one fell a little flat. I wasn't scared or creeped out-nothing surprised me.
Maybe YA horror fans! Yes. So, if you have a preteen or YA reader in the house that wants a gateway drug into some stronger stuff, this would be a *great* book to start with.
Haunted Lighthouses, spooky houses, an X-Files style flavor with some interesting, female protagonists-perfect introductory subject material and plot tropes from the genre to whet the appetite. This book comes out on May 29th, 2018
Having spent a majority of my reading time in the horror genre exclusively since September of last year, I feel like the genre has seeped into my bones and wrapped my brain in a fine residue by which everything I read is filtered through and judged by.
That being said, the standard at this point is high.
At first, this book was not doing it for me. Our protagonist, Dana, is a "debunker"/investigator of the supernormal and an invited guest at a skeptical men's social club. The story telling is so dry here, the technique of sharing Dana's experiences with unexplained events so basic, that nothing was scary or creepy--it read almost as a clinical/sterile story sharing--I found myself wanting to skim over the words.
I was told by my Night Worms crew that I should hang in there and wait until Kasey, Joe Lansdale's daughter, contributed.
Halfway through, Dana introduces her partner Jana (Kasey's character) and things do liven up with Jana's POV. However, I really wanted this to fix the whole reading experience but it just didn't quite get me there.
I'm not sure who I would recommend this collection to--perhaps Lansdale fans who want all of Lansdale's works?
But I don't think so because I've read some of his stories and there is a raw, edgy, pull-no-punches style to his writing that is totally lacking here.
Horror fans? No...this one fell a little flat. I wasn't scared or creeped out-nothing surprised me.
Maybe YA horror fans! Yes. So, if you have a preteen or YA reader in the house that wants a gateway drug into some stronger stuff, this would be a *great* book to start with.
Haunted Lighthouses, spooky houses, an X-Files style flavor with some interesting, female protagonists-perfect introductory subject material and plot tropes from the genre to whet the appetite. This book comes out on May 29th, 2018
charshorrorcorner's review against another edition
4.0
Joe Lansdale always delivers and now we know that Kasey Lansdale does too!
In the foreword, the "Champion Mojo Storyteller" shares with us a little bit about his character Dana Roberts, and how she came about investigating what she calls the "supernormal." This being what most people call "supernatural," but what Dana believes are just events that science cannot yet explain. I enjoyed her tales a LOT, mostly because I loved the framework of Dana being asked to share her stories with a group of skeptical men, (and sometimes women), in a smoky club. In the last two tales, Dana hires Jana, (Kasey Lansdale's creation), and they investigate a few cases together. While Dana is the skeptical, professional and beautiful lead "investigator," Jana is the irreverent, less polished, but also beautiful, sidekick. Having these last tales be from her POV was brilliant, giving us a different look at Dana's work while also highlighting the fact that Dana is kind of hoity-toity and not as willing to get her hands dirty as this reader first thought.
My favorites of the bunch were:
THE CASE OF THE LIGHTHOUSE SHAMBLER I'm a sucker for haunted lighthouse stories and this one was a doozy.
THE CASE OF THE FOUR ACRE HAUNT was the tale of a haunted house. What made it special for me were the descriptions of the shadows; some of them honestly gave me the heebie-jeebies, and that doesn't happen often. Well done!
THE CASE OF THE ANGRY TRAVELER featured one of my favorite tropes-the whole city discovered beneath today's city type-thing. Now you know that Dana and friends found something down there, but what was it, exactly? You'll have to read this book to find out!
Of the two Jana and Dana stories, THE CASE OF THE RAGMAN'S ANGUISH stood out the most for me. This was more of a novella than a short story, but there were different aspects to it than in the other tales, (I won't say what those aspects were), which made it unique and my favorite story of the bunch.
TERROR IS OUR BUSINESS was just plain fun and reminded me of the flat-out horror tales Joe Lansdale wrote back in the day. Joe's famous sense of humor may not be the prominent one in this collection, but Kasey's, (or Jana's) humor is, and it turns out? She's funny too!
Highly recommended for fans of short, scary stories that have a healthy side of humor and skepticism!
*Thanks to the authors and to the publicist at Cutting Block Books for the chance to read this book free, in exchange for my honest feedback. This is it.*
In the foreword, the "Champion Mojo Storyteller" shares with us a little bit about his character Dana Roberts, and how she came about investigating what she calls the "supernormal." This being what most people call "supernatural," but what Dana believes are just events that science cannot yet explain. I enjoyed her tales a LOT, mostly because I loved the framework of Dana being asked to share her stories with a group of skeptical men, (and sometimes women), in a smoky club. In the last two tales, Dana hires Jana, (Kasey Lansdale's creation), and they investigate a few cases together. While Dana is the skeptical, professional and beautiful lead "investigator," Jana is the irreverent, less polished, but also beautiful, sidekick. Having these last tales be from her POV was brilliant, giving us a different look at Dana's work while also highlighting the fact that Dana is kind of hoity-toity and not as willing to get her hands dirty as this reader first thought.
My favorites of the bunch were:
THE CASE OF THE LIGHTHOUSE SHAMBLER I'm a sucker for haunted lighthouse stories and this one was a doozy.
THE CASE OF THE FOUR ACRE HAUNT was the tale of a haunted house. What made it special for me were the descriptions of the shadows; some of them honestly gave me the heebie-jeebies, and that doesn't happen often. Well done!
THE CASE OF THE ANGRY TRAVELER featured one of my favorite tropes-the whole city discovered beneath today's city type-thing. Now you know that Dana and friends found something down there, but what was it, exactly? You'll have to read this book to find out!
Of the two Jana and Dana stories, THE CASE OF THE RAGMAN'S ANGUISH stood out the most for me. This was more of a novella than a short story, but there were different aspects to it than in the other tales, (I won't say what those aspects were), which made it unique and my favorite story of the bunch.
TERROR IS OUR BUSINESS was just plain fun and reminded me of the flat-out horror tales Joe Lansdale wrote back in the day. Joe's famous sense of humor may not be the prominent one in this collection, but Kasey's, (or Jana's) humor is, and it turns out? She's funny too!
Highly recommended for fans of short, scary stories that have a healthy side of humor and skepticism!
*Thanks to the authors and to the publicist at Cutting Block Books for the chance to read this book free, in exchange for my honest feedback. This is it.*
findingmontauk1's review against another edition
4.0
Terror Is Our Business is a neat book written by Joe and Kasey Lansdale, a great father-daughter team up! It is a collection of supernormal (their term for “supernatural” which is also explained!) sleuth mystery stories. Dana and Jana are the primary characters and they investigate and battle some cool and creepy stuff!
First of all, I loved the way these short stories were presented. They read like you are actually watching or listening to someone tell a story up in front of an audience on stage or something. I really liked that because it helped bring the stories to life more for me and really pull me in to them.
There is a distinct difference to be noticed between the writing of Joe Lansdale and Kasey Lansdale. Both are GREAT writers. One thing I noticed more with Kasey was that she uses a lot more humor and quick wittiness than Joe does. I thoroughly enjoyed her addition of Jana to the stories! I think “Blind Love” was my favorite story in the whole collection, too!
There was a lot of great build up in the stories but then the climax usually ended pretty quickly. That’s the main reason I am going to take a star away from my overall rating. I wanted to know more of how the spirits/jinns/demons/etc were vanquished and more details around those scenes.
The stories are super easy to read and follow. They read quicker than you expect them too. I found myself wanting so much more! I really hope there are more Dana and Jana sleuthing stories in the future because I will definitely be buying and promoting them!
Easily a 4 star read for me! And the cover art by Luke Spooner is FANTASTIC! I just need more of all of this in my life ASAP! Thank you to Lauren Roberts at Smith Publicity for sending the Night Worms an advanced copy of Terror is Our Business in exchange for honest reviews.
First of all, I loved the way these short stories were presented. They read like you are actually watching or listening to someone tell a story up in front of an audience on stage or something. I really liked that because it helped bring the stories to life more for me and really pull me in to them.
There is a distinct difference to be noticed between the writing of Joe Lansdale and Kasey Lansdale. Both are GREAT writers. One thing I noticed more with Kasey was that she uses a lot more humor and quick wittiness than Joe does. I thoroughly enjoyed her addition of Jana to the stories! I think “Blind Love” was my favorite story in the whole collection, too!
There was a lot of great build up in the stories but then the climax usually ended pretty quickly. That’s the main reason I am going to take a star away from my overall rating. I wanted to know more of how the spirits/jinns/demons/etc were vanquished and more details around those scenes.
The stories are super easy to read and follow. They read quicker than you expect them too. I found myself wanting so much more! I really hope there are more Dana and Jana sleuthing stories in the future because I will definitely be buying and promoting them!
Easily a 4 star read for me! And the cover art by Luke Spooner is FANTASTIC! I just need more of all of this in my life ASAP! Thank you to Lauren Roberts at Smith Publicity for sending the Night Worms an advanced copy of Terror is Our Business in exchange for honest reviews.
exorcismofemilyreed's review against another edition
4.0
Terror is Our Business was a fun read, and I enjoyed seeing the way that the stories changed and progressed from beginning to end. This book is made up of 7 stories - the first 4 are written by Joe, and they are told in a club storytelling format - Dana shares each story with a group. The last 3 stories are written by both Joe & Kasey, and they are told from the POV of Dana's new assistant Jana.
I really liked the introductions from Joe & Kasey. They work well together, and it sounds like they had a lot of fun writing.
I enjoyed the last half of the book much more than the first. The first few stories are a little too stilted/formal - Dana isn't a very warm character, which is fine, so at times it felt like a large disconnect between storyteller and readers I much preferred hearing about her through Jana.
The one thing that I found most frustrating was Dana explaining her phrasing of "supernormal" over and over. It felt really pretentious by the end, and I started rolling my eyes whenever she would correct someone who said "supernatural". I could have done with less of that.
Some of the stories were promisingly spooky! I really enjoyed The Case of the Bleeding Wall, The Case of the Ragman's Anguish, The Case of the Four Acre Haunt, and The Case of the Angry Traveler in particular. Bleeding Wall was definitely my favorite, though.
I hope to read more from Joe & Kasey Lansdale soon! Terror is Our Business will be out on 5/29. Thank you to Smith Publicity for sending early copies to the Nightworms!
I really liked the introductions from Joe & Kasey. They work well together, and it sounds like they had a lot of fun writing.
I enjoyed the last half of the book much more than the first. The first few stories are a little too stilted/formal - Dana isn't a very warm character, which is fine, so at times it felt like a large disconnect between storyteller and readers I much preferred hearing about her through Jana.
The one thing that I found most frustrating was Dana explaining her phrasing of "supernormal" over and over. It felt really pretentious by the end, and I started rolling my eyes whenever she would correct someone who said "supernatural". I could have done with less of that.
Some of the stories were promisingly spooky! I really enjoyed The Case of the Bleeding Wall, The Case of the Ragman's Anguish, The Case of the Four Acre Haunt, and The Case of the Angry Traveler in particular. Bleeding Wall was definitely my favorite, though.
I hope to read more from Joe & Kasey Lansdale soon! Terror is Our Business will be out on 5/29. Thank you to Smith Publicity for sending early copies to the Nightworms!
thewrittenadventure's review against another edition
4.0
I was reached out to by Lauren from Smith Publicity to read two novels from their authors. The first one I started, because it really piqued my interest, was Terror is Our Business: Dana Roberts' Casebook of Horrors. Written in the third person, this novel is very unique from others that I have read in the past. As an avid fan of paranormal events, and a huge fan of shows like Ghost Adventures, I knew that I had to read this.
The novel is a collection of short stories, written by Joe Lansdale and his daughter, Kasey Lansdale. They follow the story of Dana Roberts and Jana, later in the book, as they tell stories about different paranormal events and encounters.
Interestingly, some of the short stories did include paranormal features or ghost stories that I was familiar with. Like the H tree in "The Case of the Stalking Shadow"
The reader is first introduced by Joe Lansdale, explaining how Dana came to be. He even states that these stories should be read over a course of weeks, rather than reading them all the way through, so that one can enjoy them better. After reading through these stories, I have to agree. Reading them, rather than binge reading them, gives you the time to process and really enjoy the tale before you dive into a new one.
Dana recounts her tales throughout most of the short stories by going to an event and telling the audience in the novel what happened. She has a very defiant and matter-of-fact attitude of, "I don't care if you believe me, but this is what happened." Jana, on the other hand, the reader meets in the story titled "Blind Love" where she and her friend go to an even to find a soul mate. These two completely opposite characters tend to mesh well together inside of the novel.
I have to admit, many of the stories were very unique and I was thrilled by reading them. They weren't just ghost stories, which I think would have eventually grown old. The Lansdale's clearly have a talent and knack for writing these types of stories. Kasey's voice was really a breath of fresh air in the way she writes her snarky comments that are sprinkled throughout her writing.
The novel is a collection of short stories, written by Joe Lansdale and his daughter, Kasey Lansdale. They follow the story of Dana Roberts and Jana, later in the book, as they tell stories about different paranormal events and encounters.
Interestingly, some of the short stories did include paranormal features or ghost stories that I was familiar with. Like the H tree in "The Case of the Stalking Shadow"
The reader is first introduced by Joe Lansdale, explaining how Dana came to be. He even states that these stories should be read over a course of weeks, rather than reading them all the way through, so that one can enjoy them better. After reading through these stories, I have to agree. Reading them, rather than binge reading them, gives you the time to process and really enjoy the tale before you dive into a new one.
Dana recounts her tales throughout most of the short stories by going to an event and telling the audience in the novel what happened. She has a very defiant and matter-of-fact attitude of, "I don't care if you believe me, but this is what happened." Jana, on the other hand, the reader meets in the story titled "Blind Love" where she and her friend go to an even to find a soul mate. These two completely opposite characters tend to mesh well together inside of the novel.
I have to admit, many of the stories were very unique and I was thrilled by reading them. They weren't just ghost stories, which I think would have eventually grown old. The Lansdale's clearly have a talent and knack for writing these types of stories. Kasey's voice was really a breath of fresh air in the way she writes her snarky comments that are sprinkled throughout her writing.
bookbybook's review against another edition
4.0
I received this book from the publicity company in exchange for a review, this in no way changes my views and all of the words below are my own.
Dana Roberts has no time for nonsense, and ghost, demon or monster "catching" is a no nonsense business. The "supernormal" are real, and while not entirely understood, they can be control and sometimes destroyed. That's exactly what Dana does between writing books, having classy drinks, and looking like a supermodel.
First and foremost I would not consider this horror! It's a good book, but if being creeped out or scared is what you are looking for this one is more of a beginner's horror or a YA book. Secondly I love that this book is by a father daughter duo. Co-written books can be scary for readers because the writing styles can be drastically different and ruin a book, but here they complimented each other and made it better. With that said, the first part of the book was written only by Joe R. Lansdale and I enjoyed it less than the second half where both he and Kasey were writing. Unfortunately that is the main reason for only 4 stars. The second half could have probably qualified for 5 stars in my books, but the rest was too slow paced and a bit dry for me. The first part was about Dana and other assistants, then the second half was about her assistant, Jana, mentioned in the books description.
I enjoyed Jana's character morethan Dana but they came together to make a fantastic duo. I was anticipating this book being structured like a crime show, where it is the same characters crime (or in this case supernormal) fighting but different plot lines with each story. Again the second half met that expectation perfectly, but the first was Dana telling the stories in a different way (trying to avoid spoilers here).
The actual supernormal brings were unique and written with descriptions that made picturing them super easy. Both authors did a great job of bringing up background of all the creatures, and how Dana and Jana came face to face with them.
My only other issue is a superficial one; I don't like the cover. The person on the front (I presume it is Dana) looks like a different art style than the rest. I like the background, and the back cover, but her and the colouring of the pentagram seem too cartoony for the rest of the vibe.
Overall I'd love to read more about these two characters working together.
Dana Roberts has no time for nonsense, and ghost, demon or monster "catching" is a no nonsense business. The "supernormal" are real, and while not entirely understood, they can be control and sometimes destroyed. That's exactly what Dana does between writing books, having classy drinks, and looking like a supermodel.
First and foremost I would not consider this horror! It's a good book, but if being creeped out or scared is what you are looking for this one is more of a beginner's horror or a YA book. Secondly I love that this book is by a father daughter duo. Co-written books can be scary for readers because the writing styles can be drastically different and ruin a book, but here they complimented each other and made it better. With that said, the first part of the book was written only by Joe R. Lansdale and I enjoyed it less than the second half where both he and Kasey were writing. Unfortunately that is the main reason for only 4 stars. The second half could have probably qualified for 5 stars in my books, but the rest was too slow paced and a bit dry for me. The first part was about Dana and other assistants, then the second half was about her assistant, Jana, mentioned in the books description.
I enjoyed Jana's character morethan Dana but they came together to make a fantastic duo. I was anticipating this book being structured like a crime show, where it is the same characters crime (or in this case supernormal) fighting but different plot lines with each story. Again the second half met that expectation perfectly, but the first was Dana telling the stories in a different way (trying to avoid spoilers here).
The actual supernormal brings were unique and written with descriptions that made picturing them super easy. Both authors did a great job of bringing up background of all the creatures, and how Dana and Jana came face to face with them.
My only other issue is a superficial one; I don't like the cover. The person on the front (I presume it is Dana) looks like a different art style than the rest. I like the background, and the back cover, but her and the colouring of the pentagram seem too cartoony for the rest of the vibe.
Overall I'd love to read more about these two characters working together.
spookishmommy's review
2.0
Thank you, Smith Publicity for providing all the #nightworms free copies of Terror is Our Business to read and review!
TIOB was my first Joe Lansdale reading experience. In the beginning, Joe recommends reading one story a day or one per week which I think is a fantastic way to go about this. I read about one story a day and it helped to break up the stories and not feel they were overlapping.
I enjoyed most of the stories, they were spooky. And while I understand that the style is purposely "stiff" I couldn't help but be a bit bored by it. Also, there was a lot of repeating of certain words and descriptions that get kind of annoying.
I thought the stories picked up and got a lot more fun once Jana (Kaseys character) arrive. If you like detective type stories that deal with the SUPERNORMAL (and you dont mind being reminded what supernormal is every story,hehe) then I recommend this to you!
TIOB was my first Joe Lansdale reading experience. In the beginning, Joe recommends reading one story a day or one per week which I think is a fantastic way to go about this. I read about one story a day and it helped to break up the stories and not feel they were overlapping.
I enjoyed most of the stories, they were spooky. And while I understand that the style is purposely "stiff" I couldn't help but be a bit bored by it. Also, there was a lot of repeating of certain words and descriptions that get kind of annoying.
I thought the stories picked up and got a lot more fun once Jana (Kaseys character) arrive. If you like detective type stories that deal with the SUPERNORMAL (and you dont mind being reminded what supernormal is every story,hehe) then I recommend this to you!