Gone by Ruby Speechley

Title: Gone

Author: Ruby Speechley
Genre: Suspense - Thriller - Mystery 
Publisher: Boldwood Books - Copyright 2023
Publication Date: February 21, 2023
ISBN: 9781837513765
Read: February 16-18, 2023
Disclaimer: I received a digital advance reader copy from the publisher via Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

Synopsis from Publisher: Last night my son, Shay, sneaked out of the house and didn’t come home. He promised not to go to the illegal party in the woods. But someone’s been attacked and Shay has gone missing. The police want to know if he saw what happened. I’m worried he could be involved.

After all the trouble he’s been in lately, mixing with the wrong crowd, coming home beaten up and scared, I thought we’d put it all behind us. Trouble is, Shay resents me moving my new boyfriend into the family home. I found all sorts on his laptop, including a half-written email warning me not to trust David. What does he know that I don’t? 

I’m beginning to fear for his safety. What is David hiding from me? Who have I let into our lives? 

I don’t know who I can trust. Will I ever see my son alive again?

Review: As suspense thrillers go, Gone by Ruby Speechley is really good, but I have read better. There were some thing that seemed out of place or not fitting the to story Speechley is telling. First, the cover. Swing sets always make me thing of young children, but the kids in this story are teens so the swings on the cover are the first thing that seem out of place, even though it does make for a striking cover that draws your attention.

The second issue I had is with the third person point of view. Normally, this works very well in suspense books, but for some reason it doesn't seem to fit this story. I tried reading some of the story in first person, from Rachel's (the mother) point of view, and I honestly liked it a lot better. If Speechley had chosen to write from Rachel's POV in first person, the suspense, the motherly panic of wondering where her child is, and the suspicion of those around her would've all be heightened and given more insight into Rachel's character, which I had a hard time connecting to Rachel.

But, overall, these are minor issues. The plot is very well constructed and the characters are well-rounded. The story's pacing is good and the ending is worth the read. Speechley does a great job of laying out clues, building suspense and suspicion, but I wish I'd had more of an "edge of my seat" reaction to reading the book. 

Book Review: A Paroxysm of Fear by Chad Miller

Title: A Paroxysm of Fear (A Doyle & Braham Mystery, Book 2)

Author: Chad Miller
Genre: Horror - Historical Mystery - Thriller
Publisher: Hear Our Voice, LLC - Copyright 2023
Publication Date: January 26, 2023
ISBN: 9781947913360
Read: April 4-8, 2023
Disclaimer: I received a review copy from the author. All opinions are my own.

Trigger Warnings: Graphic depictions of medical procedures, domestic abuse, insanity, depression, and alcohol consumption.

Synopsis from Publisher: Fear and mystery follow me like an unwanted shadow. As the case of my missing friend, Dr. Charles Thorton, has horrifically concluded, a new mystery emerges! My miserable colleague, Thomas Braham and I discovered that Cordelia had been transformed into an abominable monster, and now we are now off on a discovery to find the root of her evil. We are whisked off on many twists and turns as our adventures lead us to lunatic asylums and underground surgical arenas. Our new apprentice, Scarlett, also joins our endeavors as I pray she only acts as our silent observer and resists sticking her nose where it doesn’t belong. 

And still, our anonymous prisoner remains. They sit there waiting to be rescued and survive the torment and torture that awaits them. I’m confident they will be discovered, but I worry that the empty cell will be quickly filled by another poor soul. 

I say with the greatest of confidence that Thomas, Scarlett, and I will uncover the truth. My fear and anxiety still remain. Sometimes it’s better to let things lie peacefully in ignorance. What sordid and cruel vermin will slither to the surface once we start turning up stones and digging holes? But my curiosity and need for discovery tamps down any trepidation I may have, and besides, I owe it to Dr. Thorton. Pray for us. 

To life and light, 

John Doyle

Review: As with the first installment in the Braham and Doyle books, The Prisoner of Fear, Chad Miller's A Paroxysm of Fear is written in an epistolary style, which lends the overall historical effect of the story. And, as with the first book, Miller's penchant for the dark, disturbing, and macabre are on full display.

What can I say? I'm hooked. I need more Braham and Doyle. They're like Sherlock and Watson crossed with Lovecraft or Poe. Mystery. Darkness. Terror. Suspense. Otherworldliness. Madness. Braham and Doyle encounter it all and yet remain grounded in logic and science that would be appropriate for the time period in which they inhabit.

But be warned, dear reader, A Paroxysm of Fear is not for the faint of heart. The story delves into the rudimentary field of psychology, as it was understood during the 19th century, and explores the treatment of those deemed "insane," which often consisted of locking them away in asylums, performing horrific experiments, and trying pseudo-science "cures." The brain is still one of the greatest mysteries facing humankind, and although our understanding of its structure, function, and even psychology have greatly increased in the past century-plus, the sad truth is that our early attempts to unlock its secrets often resulted in more harm and help. 

Another area Miller explores is the ages-old pursuit of immortality. I can't say much to this aspect of the story as it would be giving away spoilers, but I will say this: Miller has written one of the most beautifully horrific deaths of a beloved character I've ever had the pleasure to read. I'm so conflicted by this death. At once, I'm outraged Miller had the audacity to write this character's death, and yet, it's so poignant and necessary for the plot--not to mention to well-written--that I have no choice but to offer my praise for the brazenness of it. Well-played, sir. Well-played, indeed.

Overall, if you like dark fiction with a healthy dose of mystery, I highly recommend the Braham and Doyle books. I don't know if there will be a third installment, but I sincerely hope there will be because there are still so many unanswered questions. (Not to mention a certain character's death to avenge.) If there is to be a third book, I will repeat my plea from the review of the first book: write faster.

Book Review: The Prisoner of Fear by Chad Miller

Title: The Prisoner of Fear (Book 1 Doyle and Braham Series)

Author: Chad Miller
Genre: Horror - Gothic Fiction
Publisher: Hear Our Voice LLC - Copyright 2022
Publication Date: October 1, 2022
Read: Oct. 8-11, 2022
Disclaimer: Author requested a review and sent a free paperback copy. All opinions are my own.

Synopsis from Publisher:  It is 1889 in Philadelphia, and detective John Doyle is restless. Along with his miserable partner, Thomas Braham, Doyle pursues mysteries, strange sightings, and other obscurities tossed aside and disregarded by the police. For years, Doyle has taken on these cases in the hopes of discovering something supernatural - something that could upend and dispute his long-standing, debilitating fear that immortal souls do not exist. 

Doyle's search for the supernatural remains unsuccessful until he receives a strange letter from an old doctor friend regarding a young woman with a mysterious and rather disturbing illness. When the doctor goes missing in the same town that this young woman resides in, Doyle and Braham decide to take on the case and search for clues regarding their missing friend. In doing so, they discover that there is no longer any suffering young woman, but a dangerous abomination whose origin cannot be explained by science nor modern medicine. 

Meanwhile, an unnamed victim has been kidnapped. Trapped in a cell with nothing but a journal to document their experiences, this mysterious Prisoner must undergo terrifying scientific experiments while trying not to lose all hope and sanity.

Review: Anyone who knows me know I'm a huge fan of Gothic literature and its contemporary descendent, horror. My friends (and family) have heard me expound upon the virtues of dark fiction over the years. If it's dark, disturbing, psychologically scarring, and even the tiniest bit creepy, I'm all over it like flies on a corpse. 

So, dearest reader, you can imagine my excitement when I was offered a review copy of Chad Miller's The Prisoner of Fear. I waited with antici...............pation for it to arrive. When it finally landed on my doorstep, I was giddy, and yet I was in the midst of reading another book for review so I set Miller's book aside. Still, the cover haunted me. The promise of a Sherlockian-style mystery combined with the Gothic epistolary-based chills of Bram Stoker and Mary Shelley seduced me like a siren's call. For a week, I held firm and didn't give into that call. However, curiosity soon gave way to desire and I had no choice but to dive into those dark waters, whether for good or ill.

Oh, dearest reader, why did I wait to satisify my dark urges? Why, oh why, did I torment myself with fleeting glances at that haunting cover? Once I read the opening line, my resolve crumbled, and I came undone. Although I continued to read the other book in line for review during the day, I secretly stole precious hours each night to navigate the twists and turns and delightfully view the dark images Miller skillfully paints on the pages of The Prisoner of Fear. Yes, I lost hours of sleep, but what I gained is so much more valuable: a new "must-read" author. 

At the heart of Miller's work is a mystery that seems simple enough to solve. However, that simplicity is deceptive. I've admitted in other blogs that I'm often able to figure out the Who in most WhoDoneIt book, but Miller kept me guessing to the end, and then had the nerve to end the book with a cliffhanger. (AND the sequel isn't scheduled to be released until next year? WTF? Cue the hellish wailing and gnashing of teeth... *deep breath* It's fine. I'm calm. I can wait.) The plot twists were subtle and yet my mind was continually blown. Although I could tell a twist was coming soon the shapes those twists took were unexpected and shot the story into a completely different direction than I'd predicted. 

It wasn't until I'd finished reading the book that I realized the title didn't actually refer to a single character: The reader is The Prisoner of Fear, and like any good horror author, Chad Miller is the puppet master gleefully pulling strings. I, for one, will happily take up the roll of marionette. 

But....Miller, if you're reading this review, I have two words for you: Write. Faster.