Prom Nights From Hell: Paranormal stories by five extraordinary authors

Reviewed in starred order:

Madison Avery and the Dim Reaper (5 stars)

by Kim Harrison

"Fantabulous. He's a psycho. I left prom with a knife-wielding psycho. Can I pick 'em or what?" Taken before her "coin was flipped," Madison blames the R.E.A.P.E.R. squad for the screw-up which has left her body in limbo. But what can you do other than swear "Son of a dead puppy," and let the powers that be sort out this mess. Very creative plot; I wish this short story was a lengthy YA novel. Hmmm, maybe I should find that corsage.

Kiss and Tell (4 stars)

by Michele Jaffe

"Foxy girls know that silence may be golden - but only for 4 seconds." So says How to Get - And Kiss - Your Guy, the self-help book Miranda Kiss purchased to hook her crush. During her limo pickup, Miranda receives more than "live in the mo'" boy adivce offered by young Sibby Cumean. This teen package comes with spunk, attitude, oracle tellings, and men with guns. Good thing Miranda has unexplained superpowers and a thing for helping out the good guy. Filled with light adventure and playful teenspeak, this short story is a must read for boy-crazy girls.

Mary is hunting Sebastian Drake, the son of Dracula, so it's understandable that she's aiming an Excalibur Vixen crossbow 285 FPS with a twenty-inch long Easton XX75 (the tip, formerly gold, now replaced with hand-carved ash) where Sebastian's heart would've been if he were human. And if her aim is successful, she'd not only save her best friend who is under the vampire's thrall from certain fate, but the outcome might make Dracula peeved enough to reveal himself. Mary isn't alone in her quest; her father is a mad-scientist seeking a cure for vampirism and she's found a sidekick in falling for her bestfriend's-ex-boyfriend's-friend. Now all she has to do is steady her aim.

FBI Special Agents Chris Delone and Marc Cullen are on the trail of a diabolical serial killer, known only as “Cutthroat”. With the identity of the bad guy revealed very early on, this is more an action packed, heart stopping detective drama than mystery novel.

The depth of this killer’s depravity is chilling, utilizing modern technology, as well as, chemical substances to incapacitate his victims Cutthroat continues to ratchet up the stakes. The inevitable showdown with detective’s takes a stunning turn, when Cutthroat discovers that the woman he considered his ultimate prey has found sanctuary in the arms of agent Chris Delone. Enraged and on the edge of absolute insanity, the killer simply adjusts his plans to include both Holly and the agent.

Parker writes with distinct voice and stylized action that is exciting and entertaining. A definite no holds barred, gutsy detective novel that takes the reader deep into the psyche of a social deviant that preys on the innocent. Although I would like to see a bit more character development, as individuals, to give the reader the opportunity to become emotionally invested in all aspects of the story, “Look Into The Eyes of Evil” is a good read that sets a solid stage for future installments.

I look forward to reading the entire  Badge of Honor series.

Happy Reading! RJ xx

Purchase a copy of this book.

I've been meaning to write this review for over a week now, after finishing the book, but with everything else in the way (namely work and Double Agent) I haven't had a chance to. But now I do, so read on for my review of Overkill by James Barrington.

Wow. That was my first impression after I'd read the book, it was awesome. I read the sequel to this book, Pandemic, a few months ago while on holiday and thoroughly enjoyed it. So seeing it on Amazon dirt cheap I decided to snap it up and see if it was as good as the second one. And boy was it, brilliant writing, decent character development and an excellent plot. This really does keep you hanging on till the very end.

Honestly, this book is superb. Right up there with my other favourite authors instantly. Barrington really knows what he's writing about, the writing transports you into the shoes of the main protagonist and the action is visceral and tense. Definitely a must read. Now if only he'd write a few more books like this.

Power Play is a clever, action packed read that’s firing on all cylinders…intelligent, intriguing and absolutely entertaining– a boardroom blockbuster that demands to be read in single sitting and leaves you breathless, yet wanting more.

When CEO, Peter Rawlings, suffers a fatal heart attack while golfing at Pebble Beach, Cheryl Tobin is named as his replacement. In Hammond Aerospace’s male dominated executive suite, this wrinkles more than a few oxford button downs. Then a competitor’s newly designed plane crashes in a ball of flames during an air show in Paris. Which results in millions of dollars in new contracts, as customers scramble to get in line for the new Hammond jet. Because of this unexpected development, VP, Michael Zorn is unable to attend the annual executive retreat. On the day of their scheduled departure, his assistant, Jake Landry is summoned to attend the event in his place.

The lodge is located on an isolated Canadian lake, hidden deep in the vast British Colombian wilderness, where guests are treated to all the perks with none of the disturbances. Miles from the nearest cell phone or laptop King Chinook Lodge was the ideal place to brain storm and bond. Unfortunately, it was those very same characteristics that made it the perfect target for a high stakes kidnapping. And as fate would have it, the assistant, that wasn’t supposed to be there is the executives only hope for survival and the string that unravels a well planned ransom scheme.

This was one of the best books I have read (in any genre) and will certainly remain in my top 10 for a very long time.

The author has gone to great lengths to ensure the dialogue is as accurate as possible…the result is a wholly engrossing, exciting story that’s nearly impossible to put down! Modern issues, such as corporate kidnappings and glass ceilings, money laundering and sabotage are written with a depth and understanding that lend an unusual air of credibility to this novel.

King Chinook Lodge is an integral part of the story, both allowing the danger to present itself and propelling the situation to its climatic and unavoidable culmination. Throughout the novel, fragments of the past are revealed, allowing the reader to become emotionally connected and invested in the story. Disturbing and thought provoking “Power Play” is a top notch thriller that is immensely satisfying and wildly entertaining!

We all hope there’s a Jake Landry character on our bus or staying in our hotel…or in the next Joe Finder novel! I can’t wait!

Happy Reading!

Moving forward in her apprenticeship to Skulduggery, Valkrie Cain (aka Stephanie Edgley) has made great strides, but has a great deal left to learn. Skulduggery's old nemesis, Baron Vengeous and his band of legendary monsters, known as the Grotesguery are determined to release the Faceless Ones and destroy the world. Of course, the oh' so cool, ultra chic, quick witted wizard stands in their way. The story takes off when the Baron escapes from what was reportedly an inescapable prison and sets his devious plan into motion. To revive the ancient creatures known as the Faceless Ones he would first have to revive the Grotesquery, a hideous creature with the power to split the framework of space and time. However the entire plan rests with Baron's ability to obtain the most vital ingredient...Stepanie's (Valkyrie's) blood...

Throughout this wonderfully frightening imaginary journey, our heroes must find a way to stop Baron Vengeous' army of monsters from coming fully back to life. Should Valkyrie and Skulduggery fail, the Faceless Ones will return, and the world as they know it will be no more. Will the evil band of hideous baddies defeat the dapper dead wizard and his young apprentice? An intense, exciting adventure that will have even the most reluctant reader on the edge of their seat. While some of the more frightening characters and scenes may be a bit too much for very young readers, their older counterparts will devour the pages. Skulduggery is an ingenious, likable character...strong and heroic but not without fear -- Derek Landy's ability to craft a character that kids can relate too, that is exciting, fun to read and encourages creativity is a noteworthy accomplishment. Allowing the hero to display a fear, albeit an understandable one, that of torture, allows kids to see that even the people they look up to have faults and fears and in today's society this is an important message that flows over into every aspect of life. A fabulous series that seems to get better with each new installment - the book is filled with biting dialogue that propels the action with the speed and intensity of lightning. Four hundred pages, may at first seem a bit much, however, there's no wasted space and never a dull moment. At the conclusion you will find yourself wishing the book had been four times as long. As the characters grow, the stories expand in depth, allowing the reader to become emotional invested in the story. From the ultra cool skeleton to the action and scenery, each has been vividly painted to fully immerse the reader in Skulduggery's world. Although the series was initially penned for ages 10+, these books easily cross all barriers, including age, providing an exciting, entertaining reading experience for all! And this grown up is hooked - I look forward to the next installment with great anticipation!

Jonathan Quinn is a free-lance cleaner working for a shadowy agency known as The Office. His job is to clean up after operations both in the literal sense as well as checking to see how an operation went. He is hired to go to Colorado to check on a fire that killed a man. Quinn is not informed of who the man was or why is is important. His job is to see if the fire was an accident as the authorities believe. Quinn determines that the fire covered up a murder. Quinn reports this to The Office and returns to his home in LA with his apprentice Nat. He doesn't report a heavy silver bracelet Nat finds in the ashes.

Not long after getting home, an assassin attempts to kill Quinn and Nat. They survive but find that The Office is under attack and its operatives are being picked off. Jonathan and Nat go on the run, looking for a place where the unknown enemy won't expect them to go. Super secret agency attacked, operative on the run isn't a new plot but Battles uses it to good effect to get the action going. I'm rather fond of this story line myself.

Quinn gathers clues and begins to uncover a conspiracy of with horrible implications. He appears to be a target but has no idea why.

If you like the Lee Child Reacher and Robert Ludlum Bourne stories then The Cleaner should appeal to you. As with lot of thrillers, you probably want to avoid examining details too carefully and just enjoy the ride. There were a couple of times when I started to think "huh? Why don't they just ..." but I was able to rein myself in.

The conspiracy is indeed horrible, the bad guys really unpleasant, and the plot plausible because you know there are nuts out there who would like to pull off something like it.

This is Brett Battles first novel and already he is working on a Jonathan Quinn

sequel. I am putting it on my watch list.