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| Cover Image via Goodreads An independently published work |
Deep Down There by Oli Jacobs is an entertaining read with a simple but clever premise: What happens when a sinkhole appears in an established community. Overnight. And it’s a perfect circle with smooth walls that go straight down for what seems like infinity? The gated community of Anton Court gets to find out, and their justified curiosities lead to a few horrific outcomes.
I enjoyed this read. Oli Jacobs leans into character development to keep us interested, and he has created a nice little eclectic bunch led by Hannah, a widowed mother of two young boys who is stuck in a comfortable rut after the accidental death of her husband. Then the hole appears, and things gradually get weirder. No spoilers, but if you are a fan of TV shows like The Big Door Prize, which was a book before it was a TV series, you might like the feel of the characters here.
I do have a few criticisms on this one though. Plot development was a little bit slow for me, and the ending is left a bit too open ended, imo. There is a late revealed character that left me with more questions than answers (I can’t say more because of spoilers), and one key character seemed to have a name change through the third quarter of the book that had me scratching my head.
That all having been said, there are two post chapters that are separate from the main story but also tied to it. Ironically, they leave the reader with more questions, but they are also full of the right amount of intrigue to make this reader curious for more.
If you're down for a quick read that involves unexplainable mysteries and anomalies that might trigger the conspiracy theorist deep inside, than maybe check out Deep Down There. Click the image for a sales link.
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| Cover image courtesy of Tenebrous Press Click on image for where to buy |
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| Cover image courtesy of Shadow Canyon Press |
But I digress. Back on point, this is a fun, casual horror read about ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances. Carla, a restaurant owner in a seaside tourist town, is just trying to make ends meet after the recent death of her son from a boating accident. She has regulars to her restaurant along the pier. She has a love interest in Peter, a retired lifeguard and park ranger. They make a nice couple, but Carla isn’t ready to commit due to the loss of her son.
Then a storm blows in, and the conspiracy theorist among regular patrons says there are monsters afoot. And he's right. Trapped by the storm, Carla and Peter, and a host of other small town characters are forced to deal with it. If you’re a fan of any of the classic movies that I’ve listed above, you just might like this read.
Check out this GoodReads link for where to find it, and for more reviews.
Yellow Carousel by Timothy G Huguenin
I don’t often make the time for short stories unless I find them in an anthology, which is a serious demerit for me, I know. But while cleaning out my emails, which are full of read requests for award considerations, I came across this gem from a year ago, written by HWA member Timothy G. Huguenin. It's a cosmic horror piece about the regrets we have, and the past we long for as our time on this earth grows short. It ends on a decidedly weird note, and I’m not going to spoil it, but it’s worth checking out here at the website Cosmic Horror Monthly:
https://cosmichorrormonthly.com/fiction/the-yellow-carousel/
Timothy G. Huguenin is s new author to me, but after this quick read, he's one I will keep on my radar. His best known title, according to GoodReads, is Little One.
Look for more of his books here: https://tghuguenin.com/
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| Cover Image found at GoodReads |
