Bitten
look at this creepy ass cover!
The Blurb: (From Goodreads)
It is the story of four seekers who arrive at a notoriously unfriendly pile called Hill House: Dr. Montague, an occult scholar looking for solid evidence of a "haunting"; Theodora, the lighthearted assistant; Eleanor, a friendless, fragile young woman well acquainted with poltergeists; and Luke, the future heir of Hill House. At first, their stay seems destined to be merely a spooky encounter with inexplicable phenomena. But Hill House is gathering its powers—and soon it will choose one of them to make its own.
I've wanted to read this for forever, but always jumped to something else. I started this book in October for Spooky Month, but I finished it up a few days ago.
My first impression was that I loved how Jackson writes characters. Each one of them felt like real people with real personalities and real quirks. Eleanor is as meek as a mouse and starts off really folded into herself. She feels the call to the house and her great "adventure" and that is what made me love her so so much.
Luke is just kind of there living his life and experiencing this with a "okay whatever happens happens" kind of mindset. A chill dude. He's funny and seems to be open minded to pretty much whatever the house and the other characters throw at him.
Theodora is a drama queen, but a seemingly kind-hearted and caring (in her own way) person. She's more about the experience than anything. She seems very interested in understanding how Eleanor works and prodding her a bit to come out of her shell and live life.
These three work together as a character group to make this story feel like it's unfolding in a way that makes sense. This is obviously a creepy "haunted house" book, but the story is very character driven, especially from Eleanor's perspective. The house itself takes a back seat and there's not that much actual haunting rather than a nice creep factor.
The book is a quick read (I'm just a slow reader sometimes) and it's gonna drag you in. It doesn't seem like much is happening but if you pay attention to tonal shifts in how character's interact you will enjoy the building up of tension straight to the finale, which is bleak and sad but seemingly inevitable.
I really enjoyed it and do recommend it for a quick and creepy read.
Sidebar:
This book has been made into several movies, bot direct interpretations and indirect. I've watched and enjoyed most of them barring the very old movies. I would suggest reading the book before you delve into the movies/mini series first though.
Hi there! It's been a while! I have made the decision to reopen this blog! I know it's been quite a while but I missed the old girl. We go back a loooong way, my son was a babeh (he's 20 now) and well I kind of miss it. So here I am! I contemplated re-opening it in January but I thought that was dumb..plus I am impatient.
So I am now finished with school. I have free time again and I have the itch to get back into reading and maybe even doing review tours again (is that still a thing?) For now though, I'll just do my own personal reviews.
My TBR for November (my birthmonth!) goes as follows: (this is a tentative starting stack)
Hiya there kind peoples! I am going to try something new this month! It's the last month of the year starting today, so I am going to challenge myself to a thing! I'm going to read 10 books this month! Can I do it? Honestly, I dunno. Will I give it my best try!? Abso-friggenlutely! So what am I aiming to read this month:
Heist Crime, Religious Thriller, Mystery, Suspense, Adventure
Date Published: March 2020
"Sophia von X” is a 2020 Readers' Favorite Silver Medal Winner in the Fiction - Religious Theme genre!
It was supposed to be a vacation, the trip to a newly discovered tomb of Jesus…
When Sabina Ferrara was driving to Bingerbruck, Germany, she was hoping to put a painful marriage behind her. Certain unforeseen events turned against her, and during a visit to Christ’s tomb, she meets Thomas von Essen – a dangerous thief who is hiding behind the name of a decent family, pretending that he is a famous archaeologist. Against her will, Sabina is dragged into the middle of the stealing of biblical artifacts, killings, and shootings. She ended up attracting the attention of an unknown enemy from Jerusalem, a wicked man called Papa Zen. A powerful mogul who knows too much about Sabina and her mysterious birthmark. She is the one he was looking for so long…
12 lost pages from the Bible
Car chases, guns, and fights
Yakuza and Ndrangheta families
Palermo, Istanbul, Jerusalem
Deaths, tears, broken hearts
Sophia von X is a story of violence, obsession, secrets and tragedy, lies, hate, and love.
About the Author
SE Crème de la Crème author Victoria Ray lives in a small town 62 miles west of Stockholm. She has garnered much acclaim for her So Absurd It Must Be True series and her Sophia von X thriller.
Victoria is a finalist for the prestigious Readers Favorite Contest and has been nominated for a Book Excellence Award for original writing. When she is not writing, Victoria spends most of her time reading, cooking, traveling the world, walking with her dogs, and catching her favorite Gota Lejon shows. An admitted sweets fanatic, she feeds her addiction by visiting the local bakery April on Sunday afternoons.
Keep in touch with Victoria via Instagram: @victoriaray_nb
Visit Ray's blog on WordPress - www.raynotbradbury.blog
Contact Links
Purchase Link
Scifi / Fantasy
Date Published: October 17, 2023
A secret war rages on our planet, hidden just below the thin veneer of our society. An existential battle between mankind and demons being, fought by brave men and women who struggle to protect us from a foe we’re almost entirely ignorant of.
This is their story, and that of how a young group of friends were drawn into the conflict and how they could change everything.
About the Author
J.S. Charette is an American Novelist and Veteran of the United States Navy. Before he began writing, J.S. earned a bachelor's in Computer Science and an M.S. in Information Systems.
An avid reader with a lifelong love for the written word. J.S. is married with two beautiful daughters, who spent years demanding increasingly elaborate bedtime stories. As the girls grew, the stories matured with them, though the world and characters often stayed the same.
Over a decade, fully fleshed-out worlds appeared, and in time, they began morphing from fanciful bedtime tales into outlines for future novels.
He currently resides in Kansas City, Missouri, with his wife, youngest daughter, and faithful dog.
Purchase Link
Professor Bay Browning has more snake problems than the Garden of Eden in this twisted mystery. The English Literature instructor is busy preparing for a new semester when a serial killer, known as Medusa, bites her quiet life in the behind.
A wild ride ensues when Bay and her grifter sister, Cass, assist a perturbed Detective Downing with the investigation. What else can the sisters do, once they become Medusa’s targets? Will the slithering trail of mythology, art history, and family secrets help them catch a killer before she turns them to stone?
"This first-in-series held me captive on the edge of my seat where I frantically turned the pages of this intricately crafted story, desperate to solve the mystery. And, oh, what a revelation it is!"
~ Laurie Buchanan, author of the Sean McPherson crime thriller novels
"A gritty and intense mystery that grabs you and won’t let go until the end. The personal relationships are complex, just like many in real life, and the familial drama pulls you in."
Kelly Young, author of A Travel Writer mystery series and Haunted and Harassed paranormal mystery series
"Ribar effectively wraps mythology, academia, archeology, and a touch of paranormal phenomena together to produce a more than satisfying read. Looking forward to spending more time with Bay."
~ Debra H. Goldstein, author of The Sarah Blair Mysteries
"A well-written, fast-paced and vibrant debut novel.
A highly recommended new series."
~ Christine DeSmet, writing coach and author of The Fudge Shop Mystery series and Mischief in Moonstone series
Book Details:
Genre: Amateur Sleuth, Mystery, Crime
Published by: Wine Glass Press
Publication Date: November 2023
Number of Pages: 316
ISBN: 9781959078203
Series: Bay Browning Mysteries, #1
Book Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | BookShop.org | BookBub | Goodreads
Back at the parking space, Bay opened the passenger door and looked at the white particles in brighter light. They were sprinkled like powdered sugar over the right side of the back seat, directly underneath the bag of clothes Bay had gone through last night. She felt certain the particles must have come from the lululemon coat pocket. She remembered seeing Detective Harris turn the pocket inside out over one of the evidence bags. Had there been feathers in either of the pockets?
The empty parking lot at Giorgio’s put a smile on Bay’s face when she parked the Subaru a few minutes later. She was impatient to get to the bottom of the dry-cleaning mix-up and anxious to shake some details out of Giorgio. She could see him standing behind the customer counter, grooming his dark slicked-back hair and straightening his blue and white polo shirt that matched the building.
“Good morning, L.L. I see you have nothing in your hands, so what can I do for you today?” Giorgio’s velvety voice was smoother than grease.
“Cut the crap, Giorgio. You know why I’m here. Obviously, you sent the police to see me about my lululemon. What’s the story?” Bay frowned and her dark eyes narrowed.
Giorgio backed away as if Bay might punch him, marring his handsome face. He was Stasia’s youngest brother, probably around Bay’s age. Bay had learned more Andino family facts than she cared to after attending the mandatory gatherings at Stasia’s home the past year.
He held up both hands, placatingly. “I’ll tell you what I know, which isn’t much. My niece, Aria, was working on the day of the mix-up. She’s in back. I’ll go get her.”
“Get my lululemon, too, while you’re back there.” Might as well kill two birds as they say.
Aria was short and pretty with wide dark eyes and thick black hair pulled into a neat bun on top of her head. She wore the same blue and white polo over hospital-style light blue pants. Bay guessed she was barely out of high school. What was that expression: fear or guilt on Aria’s face?
“Good morning, Professor Browning. My uncle is looking for your raincoat.” Aria didn’t look Bay in the eyes.
Dialing down from accusatory to neutral tone, Bay began her questions. “I understand you were working when my lululemon was switched with the one the police confiscated.” No point in lollygagging her way to the matter at hand.
Aria looked down at her fingers, which were drumming methodically on the counter as if playing a tune on a piano. One hand stopped while the other slowed to a quiet tapping. “Yes. There were three other coats almost identical to yours when he brought in the one the police were after.”
Bay registered the information. “Who is he that brought the coat in, please?” The girl seemed quite fragile, so kid gloves were in order for this interrogation. Bay was accustomed to communicating with students Aria’s age, and she knew the best methods for building trust and rapport.
The finger tapping continued at a leisurely pace. Bay could almost pick out a rhumba beat. Aria continued to focus on her fingers, not looking up.
“He said his name was Chance.” She closed her eyes, conjuring his image. “He was wearing a black hoodie but took the hood off to talk to me. He had short dreadlocks swept up to one side and had smart glasses on. You know, his glasses made him look smart.” She smiled, caught up in the memory.
It was clear to Bay the boy had charmed Aria, and just maybe she would do anything for him. “Did Chance ask you for a favor, Aria?”
She blushed, then turned a deep red. “He used me…” She choked back tears.
“Yeah, boys are scum,” Bay empathized, glaring at Giorgio who had emerged from the back room empty-handed.
The finger tapping quickened as the incident unfolded, from a waltz to a cha-cha, Aria’s eyes remained closed during the telling. “He asked me if people brought their expensive clothing here. Like could we be trusted with their stuff, you know. He said he had his mom’s lululemon, and he was kind of flirting with me.” She paused, thinking.
“I told him we had three of those same coats in the back right now, and they were already cleaned and ready to pick up. I offered to show him, so he would know he could leave his mom’s coat here.”
Aria stopped tapping and looked at Bay’s face where empathy greeted her like a warm embrace. “I didn’t know Chance wanted to swap coats until he asked if I could swap one of the clean coats for his mother’s dirty one.” I figured that he was responsible for getting it dirty, and he didn’t want her to know about it.
“So, you randomly chose my coat and made the switch.” Bay wanted to sound helpful by filling in details, so Aria’s head shake surprised her.
“No. That’s when things got weird. He asked me if we had L.L. Browning’s coat. He specifically wanted to trade his coat for yours.”
Giorgio interrupted his niece, casting a warning look with shifty eyes.
Bay couldn’t be fooled. “Why didn’t you call me Friday to let me know about the switch or the police? You knew they were coming to question me.” She darted daggers at Giorgio, who winced and backed away.
“I didn’t think you were in danger, or I would have called you. How could I know that the lululemon was murder evidence?
***
Excerpt from The Medusa Murders by Joy Ann Ribar. Copyright 2023 by Joy Ann Ribar. Reproduced with permission from Joy Ann Ribar. All rights reserved.
Joy Ann Ribar is an RV author, writing on the road wherever her husband and their Winnebago View wanders. Joy’s cocktail of careers includes news reporter, paralegal, English educator, and aquaponics greenhouse technician, all of which prove useful in penning mysteries. She loves to bake, read, do wine research, and explore nature. Joy’s writing is inspired by Wisconsin’s four distinct seasons, natural beauty, and kind-hearted, but sometimes quirky, people.
Joy holds a BA in Journalism from UW-Madison and an MS in Education from UW-Oshkosh. She is a member of Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, Blackbird Writers, and Wisconsin Writers Association.
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MY REVIEW
This was a fun and well written mystery. The story is engaging and grabs you quick. I think I finished this one in a little over a day and that's quite a feat! I enjoyed the story, the characters, and how things unravel in a way that obviously kept me reading! The characters are interesting, the story is well developed and was just plain fun.
This is the 1st in a series and I am very much waiting to get into the next one!
I highly suggest checking this out!