Horror Books

A totally absorbing tale with the most lovable heroine. Gun blends history with fictional yet full-fledged characters, and creates a wonderful athmosphere.

If you want to lose yourself for a while and enter into the world of adventures, islam culture, romance and fairy tales, this is exactly the book for you. It is one of the most capturing stories that I have ever read and I have just bought a pile to give away for all my book loving friends. I hope that more books will follow by this marvellous writer

Any dedicated person can do the same amount of research and reading to write a book, but only very few can combine that with a big heart in an extremely clever way. This book certainly has everything in correct proportion; especially the humour. I honestly feel embarassed to have been advised this book by a foreign friend.

This is the best book I've read in a long, long while. I picked it up, planning to read a chapter before bed, and instead stayed up until three, polishing it off. Who could resist a wry, spunky Turkish heroine travelling to far-off times and places? Not to mention the colorful cast of supporting characters she meets along the way.... I'm giving copies to all my friends.

If you want a book drags you to your bookshelf over and over again, this is definitely it. I enjoyed every minute of it and amazed by the unbelievable imagination and talent of Guneli Gun.

I just got done reading a great book called Cave of the Painter's Mind by Joe Dennis. So, Matthew Warner's book, 'The Organ Donor', was the second act to follow. And, if the first act is great, usually the second act has a hard time surviving. However, this is not so with 'The Organ Donor'.

From the beginning the story takes off like a rocket, with enough thrust to blaze to the end. Not only is Matthew Warner a good story-teller, but he's also a good writer. If you like Richard Matteson, who is famous for stories such as "I am Legend', then you'll like 'The Organ Donor'. If you like horror books, then I recommend this book.

It is obvious from the first page that Warner put a lot of care into "The Organ Donor." Every word is carefully handpicked, creating a sleek, consistent story. The characters are real, the facts are well-researched, the dialogue is natural, and the action flawless.

There are moments of genuine terror in this novel. There are times where the suspense will have you cringing in your seat. But, there is also a brutal humanity to the story. You will be taken on an adventure through sympathy, sorrow, depression, anticipation, love, support, anger, happiness and loss.

I highly recommend this book! It sparkles with originality rarely seen in author's debut novels.

I recently bought the book in E-Book format, and I sure wasn't dissapointed. Matthew Warner's fiction tends to get a little unbelievable sometimes, but since this novel is based on a true story, the horror-factor is amplified. Those who like your supernatural thrills hardboiled, this is your book.

Matthew's fiction is well-researched and original, which is wonderfully portrayed in this novel. The scene is China, and the focus is it's illicit organ trade, a place well-obscured from public scrutiny. Hours of research must have gone into this, and it has paid off.

It's clear why this has been nominated for the Bram Stoker Preliminary Ballot. Pick up the paperback or download the E-Book, whichever you prefer. Smashing read either way.

Soaked in mythology and foreign affairs, the plot is more reminiscent of old-time horror. With limited gore and subtle scares, Warner keeps the story neat and focused. Although upon first glance, it will appear to be nothing more than your average ghost story, you'll soon find out it is so much more. Is there a message underneath it all? Yes. Will it distract you? No. Will you be enlightened while still being scared? Hell Yeah!

Set to a calculated speed, the pace is comfortable. It stays loyal to the story, making it easy for the reader to adjust to. Warner's style of writing is short, sweet, and to the point. The descriptions are thorough, but not intimidating and the dialogue compliments the story instead of inhibiting. My only problem was that he tended to get a little too technical at times, sterilizing the descriptions and killing my mood.

Warm and empathetic, the characters are true to life. Realistic to a fault, their suffering is understandable, their reactions believable. You can place yourself into the picture and the outcome wouldn't change. The atmosphere is bitterly cold and oppressive, leaving you anxious and feeling just a little dirty. It summons the taste of iron in your mouth, and the smell of rot and corruption on your clothes. I suggest a scalding hot shower afterwards.

Matthew Warner makes an impressive debut with this novel. The plot is suspenseful and horrific, and has plenty of gory scenes. It's also a heart-felt book. The characters are well drawn, making them people the reader really cares about. There is a lot of emotion too, and not just the emotion of horror. The characters feely deeply about one another, and this really comes through in the prose. Unlike many first novels, the writing is smooth and polished. Pick up The Organ Donor. You won't be disappointed.

Whitney Lakin displays an impressive mastery of the written word. The characters in this book are diverse and complex. This is a disturbing ride through the dark life of an artist who makes a deal with the devil. At times it was like being drawn into a painting by Hyramesh Bosche. Beautiful yet disgusting.

The writer portrays an outstanding portrait of her characters and their surroundings. The characters' flaws make them that much more impressive and real to the reader. Lakin's descriptions are tantalizing; making the ending feel like it comes too soon. A darkly beautiful read!

This is a worthy effort by an author who possesses an impressive vocabulary, which she sets off against deft use of colloquial patter. With reflections of Tom Tryon's "The Other," Lakin's horror sneaks up on the reader. A good read for horror fans.

This book kinda reminded me of Poppy Z. Brite. Dark but at the same time very funny.

A masterful and fascinating excursion into a deeper definition of reality. The verisimilitude of certain passages left me breathless.

So Awesome, so horrible, and so refreshingly different. Looking forward to future works by this author.

What better three letter word can describe this book. WOW! I absolutley enjoyed it. While I read it was like watching a movie the one's that make you go "Oh yeah I remember him/her or that from earlier" which makes the movie or in this case book that much more thrilling. Bailey has truley created a piece of artwork as everyone else has previously stated its hard to believe that this was his first book. Kudos on the great book Bailey and the start of a new and promising career.

I can't say enough how wonderful (or should I say wonderfully "horror-ible" ?) this book is! Not only is the cover appealing (great design, by the way) but the 5 stories found inside brilliantly connect to eachother unveiling more secrets from the surrounding stories. Almost written backwards, hence a palindrome, I enjoyed piecing this mysterious, yet unfortunate, puzzle together. It is hard to believe this is the author's first book and I will be looking forward for future books written by Michael Bailey.

Different than anything I have ever read. I love horror books and this one will stay on my shelf for a long time and read more than just once. I can't wait for his next book.

You'll hear Michael Bailey's name up there with Stephen king and Dean Koontz one day soon. Very powerful and well written for being his first book. Deffinately a must read for horror fans!

So great. I just want to know ONE thing. When will Hollywood make this book into a movie? My kids are dying to see it on the big screen. They love the story.

Such a great book. I just want to know ONE thing. When will Hollywood make this book into a movie? My kids are dying to see it on the big screen. They love the story, and so do I (a parent).

so funny and suspenseful and my kids learned about history, to boot

Educational and scary. Kids and adults in our family liked it.

I have read others of G. G. Garth's books, but this one is great. It keeps you on the edge of your seat with terror and excitement!

I liked the pace of this one. It kept me looking forward to the next chapter. Whether you are a Sci Fi groupie, militarily affiliated or a Flatfoot, you're gonna Love it. Maybe the "Don" (Mr. Ecker) will cut himself on the front porch more often and spurn another spookster!!!

Don Ecker's Past Sins makes a frightening and timely point that has nothing to do with the paranormal. When something really bad happens, it's the cops, soldiers, and ordinary citizens who can be counted on to do their best while the bureaucrats rush to cover their butts, if they do anything at all.

The something really bad in this case involves a series of vampire attacks in Los Angeles. The attacks are an enlistment drive, first salvos in a war waged by government-issue vampires and their recruits. The back story begins in the early days of the cold war when the CIA lucks into possession of an Eastern European refugee who happens to be a vampire and siezes the opportunity to weaponize the undead. Like so many government projects this one gets shelved when a trial run during the Vietnam War takes an unexpected ugly turn. Turns out, vampires don't respond well to authority. The book begins when one of the project subjects escapes with his own plans for how the world should be run.

The book is fast moving, compelling and frightening on many levels. Apart from the first order fear that a vampire war suggests, there's the underlying discomfort of knowing this is exactly something a government would do, given the chance. and this is likely how it would turn out. A charming feature of the book is that the only belief the reader is asked to suspend involves the possibility of vampires. That done, everyone behaves reasonably given the circumstances. Bad and good guys are equally likely to have horrific things happen to them, and no one can count on safety. Just like real life. The characters are well developed and there's a notable shortage of stereotypes, even among the undead. It's deliciously terrifying and will take you to a place that's hard to get back from, even during daylight.

Frances Anne Olson, D.D.S.

"Write what you know," is the mantra of countless creative writing instructors. Don Ecker has taken this advice to heart. Mr. Ecker's background as a cop, special ops member in Viet Nam and researcher of all things strange for UFO Magazine, one of the top publications of its kind, has well prepared him for his debut novel.

Past Sins is a multi-layered pager turner for several reasons. Mr. Ecker's portrayal of elite soldiers and weary cops has the authenticity that comes from someone who understands both the hardware and the unique cultures, the way only an insider could. There are no cardboard super sleuths or indestructible Rambos to be found. Set in contemporary Los Angeles, the story is populated by characters the reader comes to care about, people that doubt, bleed and sometimes die.

What Past Sins shares with many classic stories we remember long after the last page has been turned is an underlying allegory. This story suggests the sins of an individual or a government may return to haunt the sinner. Mr. Ecker has chosen a timely theme indeed. Our government's marriage of convenience to flesh and blood monsters, from Nazis to dictators to drug lords and terrorists is a matter of historical record. The results of some of those unholy couplings are painfully obvious to even the most casual observer of current events.


This bitter little pill is wrapped in a sweet, action-rich vampire vs. cop/soldier thriller that leaves you unsure of the outcome until the last page.

I can hardly wait to see what Mr. Ecker comes up with next.

Robb Leach is a Sergeant/Supervisor with the Maywood, California Police Department, and is a prolific free-lance writer in his spare time.

Past Sins is a superb scary tale of black ops, tough cops, and vampires, but is also much more than that. Past Sins is a scary book that gave me nightmares galore as I plowed through it compulsively. It is a page-turner, but for me one I could not read at night, and I don't even believe in vampires! It delves deeply into the folklore and history surrounding vampirism, and blends this seamlessly in the story line, but it is also a portrait of good and evil, evil of the vilest kind, and this is found not only in the undead. In this novel it is debatable who was more evil and ruthless, the vampires, or those who tried to wield them as a weapon.

Past Sins is an allegory in addition to being a horrifying page-turner: it is fable for our time, because the title refers not to the sins of the undead but those of our own government. The premise, that the US government, in absolute secrecy, discovered and employed a vampire during the Cold War, is chillingly reminiscent of the historical record, were the US intelligence community showed itself willing to employ former nazis, Mafiosi, assorted homicidal despots, Ussama Bin Laden , reportedly little gray aliens , and finally even the French. The noble end of defeating Communism supposedly justified all of these "means." But as the US has learned painfully, the devils you support and employ you ultimately cannot control. In Past Sins , all hell literally breaks loose.

However, Past Sins functions not just as a horrifying tale, and not just as an allegory, but also as a vivid story with engaging characters. Don Ecker's fertile imagination has produced a wide cast of veteran soldiers, nervous Intel operatives, and hard-boiled cops all woven together in the cosmos that is LA. I was especially smitten by his portrait of the LA police, who deal with such horror and danger daily that even the appearance of vampirism barely provokes raised eyebrows among them. As one reads the book , one is soon involved with the characters and swept up in the wild train ride that finally ends with a shattering conclusion. For the US government, once fully aware that its horrid secret weapon has escaped, pulls out all stops to try to contain the evil is has unwittingly unleashed. I say : read this book!

We've all heard the adage, don't judge a book by it's cover, and it has never rung more true than in the case of Don Ecker's debut novel Past Sins. It's tagline reads "A a novel of supernatural horror" and the cover art insights images of Transylvanian Counts and the same tired old vampire cliche retold again and again. But don't judge a book by it's cover, tired Counts it thankfully lacks. While there are certainly acts of unspeakable horror depicted in this novel, it doesn't fall neatly into the horror genre. Past Sins is certainly more of an epic action thriller laced with sweat-soaked gun-wielding law enforcement and top secret government...vampires!

We follow a group of characters through the present day battle with the undead and witness the true story unfold through vivid flashbacks to the 60's. It is here we learn of the CIA's top secret special weapon, a Hungarian vampire. But when the project goes awry and vampire converts escape their ultra guarded CIA housings, Hell comes to America as local and national law enforcement embark on the enormous and maybe impossible task of controlling the spread.

This is one novel that begs for, if not needs, a sequel. It's apparent the events in this novel are only the tip of the iceberg. Ecker breaks many barriers in Past Sins. He focused on the magnitude of the situation and not the life histories of every character introduced. He didn't shy away from shifting points of view, allowing the events to be seen through the eyes of several characters almost seamlessly and in turn further amplifying the danger present. And he certainly wasn't afraid to kill off a likable character. Sorry folks, but this is reality, no happy endings here.

But overall, Ecker has produced an original vampire story and twist on the Lilith myth. You won't find any latex clad half-vampire superheroes here, just real people in ultra realistic combat with a supernatural entity brought to life. Remove the vampire and the story still has immeasureable impact on a world where government conspiracy and the fear of terrorism are our reality. It's a gritty epic fueled by the scent of fear, testosterone, blood, sweat and the tears for the fallen.

If you're a vampire enthusiast or just an action junky, you'll enjoy the new life breathed on both genres. Don, bring on the sequel!

Middle-school students Courtney, Ming and Orion break into the Carville, Massachusetts Public Library one late spring night. Inside the library's "granite walls, cast-iron grilles, and turreted roof that made it look like a fortress," the children huddle in the cavern-like basement. Under the beam of Orion's flashlight, they recite an incantation from THE COMPLEAT NECROMANCER, an aged book written by former Carville resident Professor Hezekiah T. Osgood, who is now deceased.

Hezekiah, his wife Clara and son Nichodemus spent many years on Ilhas dos Fantasmas --- also known as Prithvideep --- an island in the middle of the Indian Ocean, south of the Equator. There, Hezekiah and his family learned about the arora --- spirits that haunted the islands.

THE COMPLEAT NECROMANCER is an ordinary-looking book, "old and heavy as a brick," which chronicles Hezekiah's investigation into the mysteries of the afterlife. According to the book, "three friends must gather in the darkness and conspire to raise the dead." After Courtney, Ming and Orion repeat the incantation, they believe nothing has happened. They scamper from the library, forgetting Orion's flashlight in their haste.

The next morning Alma Parker, the town's librarian, finds the flashlight and notices something else amiss --- and it's not just the books that are out of place. After Alma picks up a book that is also part of the Osgood collection, she sees the profile of a boy pressed between the pages. It is "a filmy, translucent layer...as if traced by air." The image moves and looks at her.

While reading in her bedroom, Courtney also discovers the image of someone moving between the pages of a book "like the pale outline of a fern that might have been pressed inside the book long ago."

Back in school, Ming and Orion are assigned to create a presentation for the Carville World's Fair social studies project. Their teacher, Mrs. Hokum, has a vendetta against Alma Parker and a long list of books she wants banned from the library. Ming and Orion select Ilhas dos Fantasmas as the country for their project. Mrs. Hokum reluctantly approves their selection, but she remains suspicious and continues her campaign to ban "negative" books from the library and remove Alma Parker as librarian.

Joining forces with Alma and her husband, Ted, the three youngsters attempt to rescue the trapped arora while trying to protect the library's books from Mrs. Hokum and her supporters.

THE PHANTOM ISLES is creative and visually appealing, with stories within stories and images of arora watermarked on its pages. Told from several points of view, including the spirits trapped within the pages of obscure texts, THE PHANTOM ISLES succeeds as an entertaining, informative and engaging novel.

--- Reviewed by Donna Volkenannt

A strange old book called The Complete Necromancer holds more than magical instruction - it holds actual ghosts and powerful passages that can bring up the dead - a proposition that intrigues friends Ming, Courtney and Orion. Their quest for knowledge brings the local library's books to life with spooky moving images - and unleashes a storm that could overtake the town. A wonderful, spellbinding story suitable for advanced elementary through middle school grade levels evolves.

I recently bought this book for my nephew who is eleven and an avid reader. He tells me that not only did he love this book but it has inspired him to become a writer in the future. He has shared it with his teacher and classmates at school and it seems that they have all enjoyed it. I am looking forward to reading it now myself.

Three brave children, an amazing librarian and an island of ghosts inhabit THE PHANTOM ISLES. Stephen Alter has created a unique ghost story with a thrilling cast of fascinating characters. This delightful mix of magic, ghosts, haunted books and exotic islands is a winner! It would make a great read aloud for teachers and parents. And the suspenseful chapter endings will keep even the most reluctant readers flipping pages.

I look forward to reading more books by Stephen Alter.

Late one night Ming, Courtney, and Orion sneak into the town library to find a very curious book. The Compleat Necromancer contains a spell that can supposedly conjure the ghosts of the dead. The friends perform the spell and...nothing happens. Or so it seems.

The next day Alma, the librarian, notices books out of place. Stranger still is the face that looks out at her when she opens one of them. It seems to materialize on the page, and it appears to be looking right at her! And it's not the only face stuck in a book.

Slowly a mystery comes to the surface. It seems to center around a place called Ilhas dos Fantasmas, and a professor who went to live there for awhile a long time ago. If Ming, Courtney, Orion, and Alma can solve the mystery, they might be able to free the ghosts from their books. But, the clock is ticking, and the books might be in greater danger than any of them realize.

This is such a fun book, and such an original idea! I love that it tells the stories of the ghosts, as well as has their faces on the page. It makes the story so much more vivid. Plus it has a crazy teacher, who at first is almost funny then turns creepy. It's the fun kind of scary book that is a great story for anyone. It also seems like just the kind of book that parents could read to their kids.

Reviewed by: Carrie Spellman

The Pictograph Murders by P. G. Karamesines is the story of Alex McKelvey and her desperate struggle to seek happiness by moving to the desert country of Utah with Kit, her Siberian husky. Swiftly carrying readers through a purely captivating tale of mystery and suspense that continues to hold the readers full and unabated attention from first page to last, The Pictograph Murders compels Alex through an investigation involving the archeological study of pots, witchcraft, and murder as the archaeological excavation site-owner disappears, and Alex's only lead is the site itself, and the mysterious arrival of a Coyote-figured stranger. A beautifully crafted mystery thriller, The Pictograph Murders is very highly recommended for mystery buffs as an enthralling tale of murder, archeology, myth, and an eccentric young woman who is determined to discover the truth.

Pictograph Murders pulls you in during its early chapters of character building supported with intriquing Indian folklore story. The read teases your mind as you become more entrenched in both subtle and overt plot and character twists. By half way through the book you want to cancel other plans and keep reading...by two thirds of the way through you DO cancel other plans and keep reading! I can hardly wait for the sequel, Loon Woman, to come out!

Karamesines is an exceptional writer. Her images are vivid and inspirational. Alex, the main character, is wonderful. I was drawn to her and her companion, Kit, instantly. I can't wait to see where Karamesines takes them next.
I was not able to put this book down! I am ready to join an archeological dig today!

I loved this book! I chose this book for my book club to read last month and we all enjoyed it very much and look forward to the sequel. There are many topics of interest and layers to this book so we had a great discussion. I liked how the character of Alex developed through the book. Tony was positively creepy! The author did a great job with him as protagonist. The Indian folklore throughout this book was enchanting, enriching and extremely interesting. You can tell the author really loves the desert, outdoors, and has experienced life which is all to the readers benefit since we are able to revel in her descriptive phraseology - beautiful use of language! All in all an impressive first book.

This is a great murder mystery. It could be considered reminiscent of Hercule Poirot, but it definitely stands on its own. Pictograph Murders is set in the American southwest and the desert flavor is evident throughout. If you've never experienced the desert with its intense kind of sunlight, then you might wonder what all the serenading in Pictograph Murders is all about. It's right on the mark. Alex, the main character, thrives on sunlight and this serves as a clue that the book works on many levels of symbolism. Sure, there's a crime scene and suspenseful plot twists. The ending is satisfying and atypical of murder musteries, which is part of the reason why I liked the way it played out. The book is also a philosophical debate, sometimes carried out right amongst the characters. It's a distant mythos turned immediate reality. It could be a horror story masking as a murder mystery. Poirot should wear so many hats!
One thing's for sure: you can't make this book be what you want it to be. Let it keep changing right in front of your eyes. It's not a weakness due to inconsistencies or an author who couldn't make up their mind. It's the book.
I enjoyed this book a great deal! It bears rereading, which is my standard for judging a book. I highly reccomend it.

Chelsea Hall
October 13, 2005


This year I read The Pit and the Pendulum, by Edgar Allen Poe. It's about a guy who is captured and tortured by a pendulum, but shortly after is thrown into an abyss. My favorite artist, Griss Grimly makes drawings from Poe's stories. So since I love Griss so much I decided to check Poe out. I'd recommend this story to any one who likes Griss Grimly's art who is over the age of thirteen. If you don't like guar, crazy, magical, scary, mystery books you wouldn't like this story, but if you do like everything I said you like this book.
This book was wonderful because of all the torture. The guy in this book was hearing people that really weren't there. For example he said "I saw the lips of the black robed judges. They appeared white whiter then this sheet upon which I write these words and thin even grotesquely. Also another scary moment in this story is when the pendulum gets closer and closer to his rob, it was very suspenseful. It said "down steadily down it crept. Down certainly, relentlessly down". The only thing wrong was it was a little hard to understand. Like "it enveloped my limbs and body close in all directions, save in the path of the destroying crescent".
My over all opinion was a wonderful experience. It was fun and not boring, unlike all the other books I've read. Anyone looking for horror stories, which love terror scary and fun you will like this book.

I was sick sick unto death... just a look into a bizarre descent into Hell.

Edgar Allen Poe (1809-49) is one of the most famous of American authors of mysterious and macabre stories, certainly the most famous 19th century one. The Pit and the Pendulum was first published in 1843, and is one of his best known works. The early part of the story has a diffuse, dreamlike quality, but before you know it, the story quickens and sharpens as it descends into hair-raising horror. The hero must strain and struggle to stay alive, but will the Inquisition let him live, can nothing save him?

OK, it sure is easy to see why this story is recognized as a classic work of American literature! It is scary, in the older way, without recourse to blood and severed limbs, and keeps you glued to your chair reading it. I am now quite sorry that it took me so long to get around to reading this story, it's great, and I highly recommend it.

SPOILER BELOW:

By the way, is it true that this story is a Christian allegory? It is inevitable that, regardless of what the hero does, he will end up in the pit (Hell). When he avoids it early on, you see the figure of time with its pendulum slowly moving towards taking his life away, and afterward the pit is still inevitable. And then, when all hope is lost, and his efforts won't save him, it is the hand of God that reaches out to save him. Read this story and decide for yourself!

I think that this was a very exciting book. It's one of those books where you need to keep reading to find out what happns next and it's like you can't stop. The narrator is stuck in the Spanish inquisition and he discovers a pit--no one knows whats down there, but you can guess by context clues. Then he awakens to a pendulum swinging over him, that comes down so slow. Will he be cunning enough to escape? Read and find out!

I thought this short story was very good! It is about a man(with an unknown name) that is sent to the spanish inquisistion and is stuck there for many nights. One night he later awakes and is awoken by a swinging pendulum coming down to slice him. The only way out is through a never ending pit or to be killed by a spiked pendulum...which way will he choose...read it and you will find out!

My husband wrote this book. He worked on it for over five years. Buy it. He'll autograph it for you for free if you ask him to. Besides, I need a new purse, and some matching shoes would be nice.

There's a lot going on in this book. I read it twice just to make sure I didn't miss something. This book makes vampires seem much more real than the gothic-type stories because it takes place in believable places with believable people.

Josh

This is a story about some seriously crazed people chasing down a "sanguivor" in Nebraska. It seems like every time they get a handle on the situation, something else goes wrong, but they always seem to manage to pull their behinds out of the fire at the last minute. The best character is "Digger". He's a treacherous double-dealing guy who manipulates everything without telling anyone what he's doing. There are some hilarious scenes in this book, like when the "sanguivor" is mistakenly taken to a morgue, and when a different "sanguivor" surfs across the desert on the trunk of a Rolls Royce. Read this book. It's really worthwhile, and you sort of lose track of the fact that it's really about vampires.

This book is so much fun! I loved the fact that this normal everyday guy gets turned into a vampire and ends up having to live under his parents front porch! I think vampire fans will really enjoy this weird take on the whole vampire thing. It's well worth reading just because of the funky characters and unusual plot twists.

This book was recommended by a friend of mine. I didn't want to buy it, so I borrowed his. Needless to say, I couldn't put it down. It's a great book to read. It's a great story and never dull!

After reading my friends copy and I bought myself my very own copy. I hope that this author rights more! I'll buy them all.