Horrorstör: A Novel by Grady Hendrix (ARC Book Review)

"It was dawn and the zombies were stumbling through the parking lot, streaming toward the massive beige box at the far end."

Review: I have several ARC's in my possession but "point of fact" this is my very first one I'm actually reviewing BEFORE the books is released. When I first got word about this book and to look for it in the mail, I was VERY excited! I mean, just LOOK at that cover. I'm a HUGE fan of the IKEA catalogs. Notice I said of the catalogs and not of the actual store. To be honest, I've only been to IKEA once in my life. And once was enough for me to totally get the feeling Grady was trying to instill in the reader!

I want to first talk about the design of this book before I get into the actual story and sheer "true-to-life" creepiness about it!

It has the look and feel of an IKEA catalog. I know because the second I held it in my hand all I had to do was reach out and grab the Fall Preview IKEA catalog I just received in the mail a few weeks prior to compare the two. The dimensions are the same and for the exception of the stock paper used (IKEA uses magazine-type paper vs ORSK which is a more book-tpe paper) they are identical. I've had several people try to catch a glimpse at the cover of this book as I was reading it, probably wondering the same thing "why does her IKEA catalog look like a book?" I never bothered to correct the thought written all over their faces. Now, delving beyond the cover to the actual pages and chapters within it also has a feel of a catalog. There is the order form and map of the store in the first few pages as well as a blurb on the mission statement of the store. Each chapter is titled as a piece of furniture that makes appearances in the novel as the story progresses. I love the names of the furniture, just as obscure and unpronounceable as that which comes from IKEA itself!

As far as the story goes, I don't normally read thrillers. I prefer to watch them in complete darkness on the big screen. And even then it doesn't happen very often. Perhaps once a year at most! But I was too intrigued by the cover, look and feel of this book! It also helped that it's a short read considering the 400+ page novels I've been reading lately!

The premise is simple: large store is haunted by evil. Yep, that's it. But as simple as that might seem, it's much more complex once the mystery of who the evil is and why they are doing the haunting in this particular store unfolds. I was hooked from beginning to end even though I found myself cringing at certain moments, I had to keep reading to find out what happened next. And as the chapters progressed the pieces of furniture being highlighted as the titles got creepier and creepier, but I didn't care. I found myself wanting to know how they would be used and on whom. But perhaps I'm giving away too much?

If you frequent big box stores then perhaps this might scare you more than you'd like. I know for myself I'm glad I don't have to worry about visiting an IKEA store any time soon. It's 3+ hours away travel time for me to get to it! But from the one time I went I'll tell you, a lot of what Grady describes here as the look and feel of ORSK (the knock-off version of IKEA) is exact. I'm sure there really is a team of people who designed the store in that maze-like fashion specifically for sales purposes? I mean, doesn't anyone who has a store do the same thing? I would just hate to be in a place of that size, with virtually no windows, when the sun goes down, during a black-out! Nuh-uh! Especially not after reading this book!

Thanks for the scare Grady!

And be sure to get your hands on this book when it hits bookshelves Tuesday, September 23rd!

Synopsis: Something strange is happening at the Orsk furniture superstore in Cleveland, Ohio. Every morning, employees arrive to find broken Kjerring bookshelves, shattered Glans water goblets, and smashed Liripip wardrobes. Sales are down, security cameras reveal nothing, and store managers are panicking.

To unravel the mystery, three employees volunteer to work a nine-hour dusk-till-dawn shift. In the dead of the night, they’ll patrol the empty showroom floor, investigate strange sights and sounds, and encounter horrors that defy the imagination.

A traditional haunted house story in a thoroughly contemporary setting, Horrorstör comes packaged in the form of a glossy mail order catalog, complete with product illustrations, a home delivery order form, and a map of Orsk’s labyrinthine showroom. It’s “a treat for fans of The Evil Dead or Zombieland, complete with affordable solutions for better living.”—Kirkus Reviews.

Horrorstör

by Grady Hendrix

243 pages

Quirk Books, 2014

Suspense / Thriller

Read in 7 days

Rating: ★★★★

Amazon | BN

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn (Book Review)

"When I think of my wife, I always think of her head."

Review: When was the last time you picked up a book and simply could not put it down? It was so good you risked losing sleep and missing your train stop it was so good? The last time I read a book that was like that was probably The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. That was almost a year ago that I read that book.

Anyway, this book right here though!? I can't even begin to tell you how great this was. It's one of those "don't tell your friends..." kind of books because there is a twist and turn at just about every chapter. No, scratch that. There is a twist and turn on every freaking page!

I have to admit that I was even fooled. Oh wait, perhaps I've revealed too much in that statement already? I don't want to give away any spoilers. All I will say is it reminded me about that Lacey Peterson story from way back. We all just knew the husband did it. Remember that? Well, I put you in that mindset of what it's about. Just don't assume anything yet. I simply recommend you read the book!

Normally I shy away from "Bestsellers" if I can. I hate to be one of like several dozen reading the same book. So I decided to wait till the paperback came out. I also decided to add this to my list of must reads right away because the movie, starring Ben Affleck, is due out in October. Whenever possible I prefer to have read the book before I see the movie. I know sometimes that is ill advised. Especially nowadays when movies seem to be straying further and further away from the books they're supposed to be based on, but I can't help it. And it's rear for me to like a movie better than the book so why not enjoy the best parts first right?

I'm not going to say anymore in this review, cause like I said, it's one that can be spoiled even by divulging the slightest of details. I much rather you read it. And for those of you who might be like me, thinking this isn't the book for you cause it's outside of the genre you'd normally read, I want to say I felt the same way as well. For a while I didn't want to read it because thriller novels aren't really something I care for. And while this isn't on the level of Stephen King in terms of scare factor, the suspense is up there. I guarantee you'll be surprised at just how much you'll enjoy reading this and how quickly you'll finish it. So especially to those who think this is not their kind of book I say, take a chance and give it a read. Better yet, let's make this a challenge. I challenge you to read to page 24 and I dare you to stop after that. I bet you won't...

Synopsis: On a warm summer morning in North Carthage, Missouri, it is Nick and Amy Dunne’s fifth wedding anniversary. Presents are being wrapped and reservations are being made when Nick’s clever and beautiful wife disappears. Husband-of-the-Year Nick isn’t doing himself any favors with cringe-worthy daydreams about the slope and shape of his wife’s head, but passages from Amy's diary reveal the alpha-girl perfectionist could have put anyone dangerously on edge. Under mounting pressure from the police and the media—as well as Amy’s fiercely doting parents—the town golden boy parades an endless series of lies, deceits, and inappropriate behavior. Nick is oddly evasive, and he’s definitely bitter—but is he really a killer?

Gone Girl

by Gillian Flynn

420 pages

Broadway Books, 2012 

mystery/thriller/suspense

Read in 4 days

Rating: ★★★★★

Amazon | BN

Read of the Town: Mr. Mercedes by Stephen King

Stephen King has been on a role lately! Especially since his books in the last year I have been able to read. Specifically Joyland that came out last Summer. Since then he's also written the sequel to The Shining, which fans of the book and the movie I'm sure were excited to get their hands on. And now he's back with a book that's shorter than his usual 600+ page novels!

Let me start by discussing the cover. It's pretty freaking awesome! I love a good umbrella and what would be better than an having an umbrella shield you from blood falling like rain and a smiley face on the handle?! Yeah, NOTHING! They say don't judge a book by its cover, but in this case, because it's Stephen King I will be judging this book by its cover and expecting nothing less than a thrill ride like only he can give us.

I tend not to read his 600+ page novels, not because of the length, but because when you devote that kind of length of time to the crazy world of Stephen King, you can come out the other side forever changed. Of course everyone reads a book differently, but most who read tend to put themselves into the shoes of the main character (or their favorite character) in order to better immerse themselves in the world the novel creates. If it's a good novel then that is easily achievable and there is something about the way Stephen King writes that that is ALWAYS easy to do! Therefore, if I read a novel of his that is 600+ pages, like I did YEARS ago with Needful Things, when I'm done, I feel like I need a full year of comedy television and humor novels to rescue me from the depths to which I was taken!

So yeah, shorter Stephen King novels, although by most novel standards I'm sure 448 is still pretty lengthy, is much more manageable on my mind and soul! How do you feel about his earlier novels versus his latest? Is he getting better with the fear or becoming tamer? I have my own theory, which I will share after I've read Mr. Mercedes!

Synopsis:

In a mega-stakes, high-suspense race against time, three of the most unlikely and winning heroes Stephen King has ever created try to stop a lone killer from blowing up thousands.

In the frigid pre-dawn hours, in a distressed Midwestern city, hundreds of desperate unemployed folks are lined up for a spot at a job fair. Without warning, a lone driver plows through the crowd in a stolen Mercedes, running over the innocent, backing up, and charging again. Eight people are killed; fifteen are wounded. The killer escapes.

In another part of town, months later, a retired cop named Bill Hodges is still haunted by the unsolved crime. When he gets a crazed letter from someone who self-identifies as the “perk” and threatens an even more diabolical attack, Hodges wakes up from his depressed and vacant retirement, hell-bent on preventing another tragedy.

Brady Hartsfield lives with his alcoholic mother in the house where he was born. He loved the feel of death under the wheels of the Mercedes, and he wants that rush again. Only Bill Hodges, with a couple of highly unlikely allies, can apprehend the killer before he strikes again. And they have no time to lose, because Brady’s next mission, if it succeeds, will kill or maim thousands.

Mr. Mercedes is a war between good and evil, from the master of suspense whose insight into the mind of this obsessed, insane killer is chilling and unforgettable.

Strangers on a Train by Patricia Highsmith (Book Review)

"The train tore along with an angry, irregular rhythm."

Review: What an amazingly well written, spellbinding, rollercoaster ride of a book! And for all the reasons I usually end up not liking a movie that is based on a book too!

Usually I try to read a book before I see the movie. So far my record is heavily sided with reading the book first, but if it's a classic such as Strangers on a Train, it bound to happen that I've seen the movie first. The same thing happened with To Kill a Mockingbird, but I'm digressing. Going back to this book, let me start by saying, except for the title and character names the book and movie are polar opposites! Oh, and the starting plot, such as the discussion that takes place between the "strangers" on the train (see what I did there?) is the same. And I think it's because of the liberties (or lack thereof) that Alfred Hitchcock took in directing Strangers on a Train, that I can love both equally and appreciate them separately without taking anything away from each other.

As you all may know, this is was a collaborative read between myself and Alaina. And because she has recently undertaken reading the hefty Game of Thrones as a collaborative effort with another college friend of ours, it might be a while before we endeavor to do another. Although I will say, her pick was so awesome this go-round that I'm inclined to entrust her with the next pick! With the caveat that William Shakespeare's The Empire Striketh Back obviously be among one that we do soon!

After discussing our favorite Hitchcock films we promptly began dissecting the novel thusly:

@NYCBookWorm84 Um, the major flaw being himself?? #TheCollaborators
— Alaina Patterson (@WillBeFunOrElse) May 1, 2014

No matter how you look at it, this book is an excellent guide on what could be the perfect crime of murder. Provided one of the two parties involved is not a complete and total schizo! I think Alaina would agree with me there?

@NYCBookWorm84 He was so obsessed with Guy that he endangered the both of them. #TheCollaborators
— Alaina Patterson (@WillBeFunOrElse) May 1, 2014

We seemed to have very little to say about the women in the book, of which there were four of! See, the main point to this suspense novel is that Bruno (the schizo) dreams of killing his father. He has come up with the perfect way of doing it where no one will get caught. How, you might ask? Simple. He'll meet a complete stranger, say, on a train. This stranger will, like Bruno, have someone in his life that, if they were eliminated, would make his life better. That's where Guy comes in. He's got a wife who also happens to enjoy fooling around on him, but won't divorce him. Guy wants the divorce so that he may marry Anne, a woman he actually loves and cares for deeply, and who, unlike Miriam, isn't sleeping around on him. The other two women are the mothers' of each of our main characters.

Bruno's mom, to me, seemed to have a sort of Norma & Norman Bates kind of relationship going on. I always felt like there was something just not right with that mother-son dynamic. Then there was Guy's mother, who is there for her son, caring, nurturing, but more of a mother than a best friend.

Of course there's a bit more to the story, but the whole idea is what happens inwardly to both Guy and Bruno after murder is committed. To make one more analogy, that I just thought of now, Bruno reminds me of that dude in The Tell Tale Heart and how he would have behaved if that short story dragged out much longer.

This is the kind of book that should be used in some creative writing college course. Analyzed and torn apart for self-reflection. I think I would have enjoyed comparing Guy and Bruno as some sort of thesis.

Synopsis: With the acclaim for The Talented Mr. Ripley, more film projects in production, and two biographies forthcoming, expatriate legend Patricia Highsmith would be shocked to see that she has finally arrived in her homeland. Throughout her career, Highsmith brought a keen literary eye and a genius for plumbing the psychopathic mind to more than thirty works of fiction, unparalleled in their placid deviousness and sardonic humor. With deadpan accuracy, she delighted in creating true sociopaths in the guise of the everyday man or woman. Now, one of her finest works is again in print: Strangers on a Train, Highsmith's first novel and the source for Alfred Hitchcock's classic 1953 film. With this novel, Highsmith revels in eliciting the unsettling psychological forces that lurk beneath the surface of everyday contemporary life.

Strangers on a Train

by Patricia Highsmith

256 pages

W. W. Norton & Company, 2001

mystery / suspense

Read in 5 days

Rating: ★★★★

Amazon | BN

To learn more about Patricia Highsmith visit her Wikipedia page here.

Odd Thomas by Dean Koontz (Book Review)

Odd Thomas

by Dean Koontz

446 pages

Bantam Books, 2012

fiction/suspense/thriller/mystery

Read in 5 days

My Rating: ★★★★★

Amazon.com | BN.com

"My name is Odd Thomas, though in this age when fame is the altar at which most people worship, I am not sure why you should care who I am or that I exist."

Review: I don't think I've ever read a book that made me need a soundtrack playing in the background in order to feel more at ease with the story. This book definitely requires a soundtrack and with that said I should start with who that soundtrack needs to be!

That's right, none other than the King of Rock and Roll himself, Elvis Presley. When you start reading the book you will see what I mean. Anyway, I quickly found myself listening to all his music, even his moody blues and his gospel music as well. I listen to him regardless of the book because he is one of my all time favorite singers and actors (I've seen all his movies) but listening to him while reading about Odd Thomas just seemed right.

But listen to me, I haven't even said anything about the actual story yet! It was gripping and page turning and heart pounding all at once. There was a great pace too. It wasn't like Dean wanted to pack all the suspense in a few pages and that was that. No, instead he gave us about 4 or 5 different climactic points throughout the story. The gist of it all is obviously about a young man by the name of Odd Thomas. This is one instance where you should totally let the name fool you because Odd Thomas is definitely odd to say the least. What is his oddity? He can see dead people. And not in the Sixth Sense kind of Hollywood antics either. This is definitely no M. Knight kind of movie or book whatsoever. 

Odd is a normal kid with a seemingly normal life. He has an amazing girlfriend, a job he enjoys, even if it is just a fry cook, and friends who understand him as well as accept him. His gift, while not usual for most people, is one that he does not take lightly. If he is called upon to assist someone who comes to him for help then he does it, so what if that person needing help happens to be dead. Odd Thomas is a do-gooder. Possibly because he had quite a terrible childhood that no child should ever have to face. 

In this first installment of a series of Odd Thomas novel we are introduced to those who know of his gift at different levels and we are also introduced to him and how exactly it works. Along the way of solving a mystery where many could possibly die we get to peel back some layers to the mysterious life of Odd Thomas and how he got to be where he is today.

I find it interesting that he is visited by Elvis Presley (quite frequently actually) who finds joy and pain in his own music whenever he hears it. Don't believe me? Well read the book and see if I'm lying. I dare you!

Summary: "The dead don't talk. I don't know why." But they do try to communicate, with a short order cook in a small desert town serving as their reluctant confidant. Odd Thomas thinks of himself as an ordinary guy, if possessed of a certain measure of talent at the Pico Mundo Grill and rapturously in love with the most beautiful girl in the world, Stormy Llewellyn." "Maybe he has a gift, maybe it's a curse, Odd has never been sure, but he tries to do his best by the silent souls who seek him out. Sometimes they want justice, and Odd's otherworldly tips to Pico Mundo's sympathetic police chief, Wyatt Porter, can solve a crime. Occasionally they can prevent one. But this time it's different." "A mysterious man comes to town with a voracious appetite, a filing cabinet stuffed with information on the world's worst killers, and a pack of hyena-like shades following him wherever he goes. Who the man is and what he wants, not even Odd's deceased informants can tell him. His most ominous clue is a page ripped from a day-by-day calendar for August 15." "Today is August 15." In less than twenty-four hours, Pico Mundo will awaken to a day of catastrophe. As evil coils under the searing desert sun, Odd travels through the shifting prisms of his world, struggling to avert a looming cataclysm with the aid of his soul mate and an unlikely community of allies that includes the King of Rock 'n' Roll. His account of two shattering days when past and present, fate and destiny converge is the stuff of our worst nightmares - and a testament by which to live sanely if not safely, with courage, humor, and a full heart that even in the darkness must persevere.

To learn more about Dean Koontz visit his site here.

The Shining by Stephen King (Book Review)

The Shining
by Stephen King

447 pages
Doubleday, January 1977
gothic novel/horror
Finished in 7 days
Another Review...

My Rating: ★★★★

Amazon.com / BN.com

"Jack Torrance thought: Officious little prick."

My Review: I know Stephen King is one scary dude when it comes to what he writes. This book is no exception. I saw the movie version of this book over a decade ago and remember very little from it. I think what I find I enjoy most about a Stephen King novel is his simplistic way of allowing the reader to go on a journey with him even in that journey is one that could lead to nightmares for the rest of their life. 

This story, for those who've never read the book, is really about a boy and his ability to hear the thoughts of those he is near. It might seem like the book is about his parents but really it's about this little boy, Danny, and occasionally, about his "imaginary friend" Tony. Now there is of course many layers to this boys story as well as the story of his parents and of the hotel they will be staying at during the duration of the Winter season.

While I was reading this book I often asked myself just how long it would take for me to go stark raving mad, holed up in a hotel, in the middle of nowhere, with absolutely no way of communicating the outside world. My only way of staying sane is with my family who is braving the stay with me. I suppose I would be fine if it were a house we were staying in. But when you add the element of an entire hotel with endless rooms and endless stories of what went on in those rooms? Then things start to get a bit dicey.

My favorite part about he book has to be when the title is explained. I don't think I would be breaking any "spoiler" codes by telling you the answer but just in case...

**SPOILER ALERT**

The idea behind "the shining" is quite simple. The head chef of the hotel they will be staying in during the Winter explains it to Danny because he has the same ability, only not as strong. He tells him the story that his mother told him about the ability to hear other peoples thoughts. He quickly realizes Danny is not only able to hear thoughts but feel them as well as a lot of other things that I'll let you discover on your own.

I won't ruin all the juicy details of the book but if you should dare to take a plunge into this perfectly written tale I suggest you read it with the lights on and NOT while staying at a hotel!

Summary: First published in 1977, The Shining quickly became a benchmark in the literary career of Stephen King. This tale of a troubled man hired to care for a remote mountain resort over the winter, his loyal wife, and their uniquely gifted son slowly but steadily unfolds as secrets from the Overlook Hotel's past are revealed, and the hotel itself attempts to claim the very souls of the Torrance family. Adapted into a cinematic masterpiece of horror by legendary director Stanley Kubrick - featuring an unforgettable performance by a demonic Jack Nicholson - The Shining stands as a cultural icon of modern horror, a searing study of a family torn apart, and a nightmarish glimpse into the dark recesses of human weakness and dementia.

To learn more about Stephen King visit his official site.

TCM Presents... Julie

Title: Julie

Director: Andrew L. Stone

Screenwriter(s): Andrew L. Stone

Producer: Martin Melcher

Distributor: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

In Theaters: October 17th, 1956

Run Time: 99 minutes

Color: B&W

Starring: Doris Day, Louis Jourdan & Barry Sullivan

Genre(s): thriller

Storyline: Her new husband’s behaviour convinces Julie Benton that his jealousy is dangerous, and when he admits he killed her first husband she realises she has to get away. A long-time friend helps all he can, but even in a town the size of San Fransisco Benton seems able to track them down. The police can do nothing despite a death threat, so the next move is up to Julie. Written by Jeremy Perkins

My Review: Whenever I think of Doris Day, I think of her singing some sweet love song, I don’t think of her in the role of a woman on the run from a man. In fact, her most notable roles are that of a woman trying to keep men at bay who are charmed by her looks and her voice. But in this movie she plays Julie, the main character who, after her first husband “commits suicide” she marries another man (Louis Jourdan) who happens to be madly in love with her. And when I say madly, I mean it. He gets uncontrollably jealous if he even catches her talking to a man for more than a few minutes.

If you like suspense like that of an Alfred Hitchcock movie, then you’ll love this one. After about one minute into the movie you will find yourself unable to stop watching. It starts with an example of the kind of episode Jourdan is liable to have after he unleashes his jealous rage. Like forcing his new wife to press down on the gas peddle, scaring her into thinking they will crash to death.

I only wish the dialogue wasn’t so corny. Other than that, it made me want to research what kind of cockeyed laws we had in this country! Why? Well, when our leading lady goes to the police (as any woman who’s being stalked as she was should) they explained to her that there was nothing they could do. Their hands were tied! How is that possible?! She was fearful for her life even more so when her husband confessed to having killed her first husband and made it look like a suicide. That’s how much he loved her. He could not bare for anyone else to have her. When he realizes she does not intend on staying with him (what woman in her right mind would?) he decides he must then kill her. The old saying, “if I can’t have you no one can.” A bit old for my taste but this is an old movie so I forgive them this cliche.

The only annoyance is the behavior of the police throughout this entire ordeal. I wanted to reach into the screen and wring their necks! Not one of them lifted a finger to help her and she practically begged every law enforcement official she came across as she was running away from her deranged husband. It wasn’t until he nearly killed her best friend that they finally decided to help her. Of course this movie wouldn’t be a thriller if that moment didn’t come a bit too late. I won’t spoil the ending for you but I do want to say that, for me, it went about 10 minutes too long for me at one point.

Have you seen this movie? If so, what did you think of the ending? Was it a bit too much for you as well? Also, have you seen any other Doris Day movie before? Which were your favorite?

My Rating: ★★★★ 1/2

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