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crystal_staley's reviews
563 reviews
Chasing the Boogeyman by Richard Chizmar
4.0
A great mix of memoir, coming of age, and murder mystery. Told with a true-crime feel, this story pulled me in. I was intrigued by Chizmar’s personal touches of the story intermixed with the murders happening in his hometown by The Boogeyman. It all absolutely feels real, even though you know from the start it’s fiction. So if you like nonfiction true crime books, then you will probably enjoy this also.
Black Creek Crossing by John Saul
3.5
My first experience with this author and I’m glad it was a positive one. This is a story about a house that has a dark history of murder and witchcraft. A new family has moved in and, well we find out exactly what’s going on. There are two teenagers, Angel and Seth who are outsiders and horribly bullied by other kids. At times, this was a bit heavy handed and the bullies were pretty stereotypical and one dimensional. But overall, I enjoyed this story. It started a bit slow but definitely pulled me in as it went on and we learned more about the history of the house and the things Angel and Seth do to stick up for themselves.
(Content warning for animal torture)
(Content warning for animal torture)
The Possession of Natalie Glasgow by Hailey Piper
4.0
A quick read that has a different spin on a possession story. Something has happening to Natalie Glasgow and her mother is desperate to help her. There’s a lot of emotion in this story also and I absolutely loved the ending.
Revelator by Daryl Gregory
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
5.0
I absolutely loved this book! A wonderful mix of family drama with secrets passed through generations, a coming of age story and some strange folk religion thrown in. It’s set in the Cades Cove area of Tennessee in the 1930s and 40s, an area that’s soon to become Great Smoky Mountain National Park and the folks who love there are being forced out. Generations have loved in these mountains and for the Birch family, they have something else that ties them to this place-their own personal God in the Mountain. The characters are complex and jump right off the page. Stella is a spit fire and so determined and goes against the grain. I loved her so much. I kept turning the pages to learn more about this family and the mystery of Ghostdaddy. A must read!
The Broken Girls by Simone St. James
4.0
I sped through this book! It had me hooked from the beginning and I had to see how this was going to play out. I like a story with multiple timelines and the mystery in these two timelines was intriguing. I also appreciated the supernatural elements. A solid thriller.
His & Hers by Alice Feeney
4.5
I thoroughly enjoyed this! This books has several things I like in a thriller; mystery in the past that possibly connects to the mystery in the present, a character having to go home again when they don’t really want to, and tons of secrets! A murder has occurred in a small town and we follow a detective and a journalist as they try to figure out what’s going on. We get all sorts of juicy details along the way and it is full of twists and turns. This solidifies me as an Alice Feeney fan!
Hammers on Bone by Cassandra Khaw
4.0
A private investigator is hired by a young boy to kill his stepdad. We follow along as this PI learns about the situation and he soon discovers there’s a bit more than he bargained for. Very Lovecraftian with monsters and gods that inhabit human bodies. This was short but packed a punch!