Matthew Jon Smith (Author of A Night on the Town)

Matthew Jon liked Angel Medina's review of Killer Mike and the Blood Slugs - The Brassey Avenue Massacre: A Horror Story: "This was a surprise release, so when I saw it, I knew I needed to have it. This series has only gotten better as I've read the books. This one, though, might be the weirdest of them all. Killer Mike ends up going to a party in an affluent neighborhoo" Read more of this review »
Nov 04, 2025 11:15AM · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Killer Mike and the Blood Slugs - The Brassey Avenue Massacre by Matthew Jon Smith. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Killer Mike and the Blood Slugs - The Brassey Avenue Massacre by Matthew Jon Smith <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Matthew Jon and 1 other person liked Angel Medina's review of Killer Mike and the Blood Slugs - The Leap of Faith: A Horror Story: "I've been enjoying the series so far. Killer Mike has grown as a character overall. This one isn't as extreme, but still, check your triggers, as it's still pretty intense. However, this is more about Mike's struggles as a serial killer. He has vivid" Read more of this review »
Oct 13, 2025 09:28AM · see review
Matthew Jon rated a book it was amazing Crimson Canvases by Camille Danciu (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Picture This: A Story Where Blood, Art, Mystery, and Magic Collide in a Fantastic Fashion Review: Crimson Canvases – Camille Danciu - Author My Verdict: A taught, genre bending thriller that I couldn’t put down As a fan of both On Behalf of All Women a ...more
Oct 13, 2025 08:48AM · like · see review
Matthew Jon rated a book it was amazing Veštica by B.S. Miller	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Veštica Reveals Dark Truths and Heartbreaking Sacrifices Behind Old Stories and Superstitions Review: Veštica – B.S. Miller (Brittany Cekus) My Verdict: An amazing blend of old-world fairytales, magical realism, and elements of gritty, period-piece, do ...more
Oct 12, 2025 11:22AM · like · see review
Matthew Jon liked Kira K's review of The Dog Days of Youth (Killer Mike and the Blood Slugs #1): "Thoughts: I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. I really appreciated the author's note at the beginning vaguely warning everyone what was to come as it is seen by some as a writing sin so we can choose w" Read more of this review »
Oct 04, 2025 03:11PM · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Dog Days of Youth by Matthew Jon Smith. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Dog Days of Youth by Matthew Jon Smith <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Matthew Jon is now following Zane and Dan Mckeithan
Sep 18, 2025 11:04AM
Matthew Jon liked Jen Self's review of Killer Mike and the Blood Slugs - The Leap of Faith: A Horror Story: "What an awesome addition to the Killer Mike and the Blood Slugs series! While this isn't as extreme as the other books, it is no less intense! I devoured it in one sitting, and I think this is my new favorite in the series!"
Sep 08, 2025 09:00AM · see review
Matthew Jon is now following Rob Nelson Author of Made A Monster: A Splatterpunk Novel
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Matthew Jon is now following Lesley A. Camphouse Author of Ingest Me (The Communion Duet Book 1)
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Matthew Jon liked Angel Medina's review of Killer Mike and the Blood Slugs - The Brassey Avenue Massacre: A Horror Story:

Killer Mike and the Blood Slugs - The Brassey Avenue Massacre by Matthew Jon Smith

"This was a surprise release, so when I saw it, I knew I needed to have it. This series has only gotten better as I've read the books. This one, though, might be the weirdest of them all. Killer Mike ends up going to a party in an affluent neighborhoo" Read more of this review »

Matthew Jon and 1 other person liked Angel Medina's review of Killer Mike and the Blood Slugs - The Leap of Faith: A Horror Story:

Killer Mike and the Blood Slugs - The Leap of Faith by Matthew Jon Smith

"I've been enjoying the series so far. Killer Mike has grown as a character overall. This one isn't as extreme, but still, check your triggers, as it's still pretty intense. However, this is more about Mike's struggles as a serial killer. He has vivid" Read more of this review »

Matthew Jon rated a book it was amazing

Crimson Canvases
by Camille Danciu (Goodreads Author)

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Picture This: A Story Where Blood, Art, Mystery, and Magic Collide in a Fantastic Fashion
Review: Crimson Canvases – Camille Danciu - Author
My Verdict: A taught, genre bending thriller that I couldn’t put down

As a fan of both On Behalf of All Women a Picture This: A Story Where Blood, Art, Mystery, and Magic Collide in a Fantastic Fashion
Review: Crimson Canvases – Camille Danciu - Author
My Verdict: A taught, genre bending thriller that I couldn’t put down

As a fan of both On Behalf of All Women and Tethered by Kismet, I was elated when I got the opportunity to read Danciu’s next book early. I was grateful that I was even able to provide a blurb (the first I have ever done). I had high expectations going in, and I was not let down.
When I saw the cover (another banger by Ruth Anna Evans), I was intrigued since the other works I’ve read by the author haven’t strictly stuck to specific genres. On Behalf was a dark comedy from a very specific serial killer’s point of view. A little thriller. A little horror. Tethered was a cross between doomed romance and cosmic horror. I wanted to see what Danciu would do next. The title, Crimson Canvases, and the bloody cover both told me everything I needed to know, yet left me excited to see what was in store this time.
This is probably the best one yet. While the premise is not quite as slick as On Behalf, Danciu has upped her game in terms of tension and plotting, making me paranoid from the jump. This is a murder mystery magical thriller that kept me on edge whenever it wanted to, only providing relief so that the scares worked later. I was genuinely suspicious of every character, even the protagonist, until the end.
The opening scene is inherently intriguing, telling you enough to hook you right away while leaving you with enough questions to pull you along. The protagonist, Serarosa, is burying something, nearly in a panic. Who is that watching just in the distance? Probably nobody. Better to get moving.
As the story unfolds, we learn Sera lives an otherwise idyllic life, unless you count the feeling of loss surrounding the mysterious disappearance of her friend, Anna. That feeling haunts her. Anna was meant to be a part of that dream life that Sera and her other bestie, Maddy, have built since college. They run a successful café/art studio, yet the space left in Anna’s absence still torments Sera.
She’s been painting to deal with those feelings.
There’s so much here that I don’t want to spoil. So much of the way Danciu doled out the details kept me on my toes, and that was a very fun part of the experience. Suffice it to say this: the paintings reveal aspects of Anna’s disappearance. This catches someone’s attention. Serarosa doesn’t have much time to figure out who has been following her, but she’s almost sure it’s the same person responsible for her missing friend. Even with a small cast, I didn’t see the ending coming.
I have two complaints. My only real gruff is that the ‘thriller’ plot mechanics were somewhat confusing at times. Strangely enough, this did not take away any of the tension, as far as I could tell. I just didn’t always understand Sera’s plan to stay one step ahead of whoever is following her. I almost understood, and maybe on a second read, it would be clearer to me now that I know how everything plays out. Again, I emphasize that this did not lessen the paranoia or tension I felt, so I consider this a minor peeve, if anything.
My other complaint is that I wanted more of it. I genuinely could have taken a little more time building the relationship with the trio and understanding Anna’s importance to Serarosa and Maddy’s world. This would have interrupted the fast pace the book moves at, which is pretty electric, so I am not sure how it would have worked. I just feel that though this novella was a great read, there was perhaps a full-length novel in there that would have been just as good? Maybe even better?
This book had some of the most effective moments I’ve seen in Danciu’s work when it comes to horror and tension. There was a moment early on, a “What was that sound?” in the night moment, that hit me hard. It was a simple scene that set up the basic fear of knowing someone must be trying to break in, that is, if they aren’t in the house already. Even though you do everything right by going to check and calling the police, there isn’t any resolution. You are forced to go back to bed, pretending like nothing happened. Something about that scene really made me uncomfortable later when it came time to turn off the lights and turn in for the night.
There was also a moment at the end that made me say, “Jesus Christ!” out loud. Again, it was simple, and I won’t ruin it for you here. In a story that was otherwise…non-violent (I almost said ‘bloodless,’ which is inherently not true as blood is literally part of the plot’s engine), the moment of blunt brutality was actually quite shocking. In this case, “less is more” really worked here.
Ok, last point, then I am out for the day to write my own stuff. Crimson Canvases has these moments, especially around the café, that feel like daydreamy wish fulfillment. I want to own that goddamn café too. These moments feel almost like ‘cozy’ literature, or maybe like they are sidling up to that side of genre fiction. In this case, this only serves to harden the scarier parts, providing juxtaposition to some very bleak reveals. Lord knows I love a good moment of bleakness to ruin the dream. I really do.
Crimson Canvases feels like ‘pop’ horror/thriller/mystery in the best way, while throwing magical realism into the mix. Lately, I’ve been listening to a lot of the Just King Things podcast. They’ve stated that Stephen King had a great talent for pulling existing genre tropes and recombining them into something that felt fresh and original while still feeling familiar. I think Danciu also excels at this skill, and this book is living proof. ...more

Matthew Jon rated a book it was amazing

Veštica
by B.S. Miller

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Veštica Reveals Dark Truths and Heartbreaking Sacrifices Behind Old Stories and Superstitions
Review: Veštica – B.S. Miller (Brittany Cekus)
My Verdict: An amazing blend of old-world fairytales, magical realism, and elements of gritty, period-piece, do Veštica Reveals Dark Truths and Heartbreaking Sacrifices Behind Old Stories and Superstitions
Review: Veštica – B.S. Miller (Brittany Cekus)
My Verdict: An amazing blend of old-world fairytales, magical realism, and elements of gritty, period-piece, domestic thriller.

Boy, oh, boy, do I owe Miller an apology. One, I was given this story as an ARC, and I am well past the release date. Two, my first attempt at the story did not go well under unfair conditions, resulting in my first impressions of the story being that I did not care for it very much. Under duress to say something about the book, I made a post essentially calling it a werewolf story (not exactly my bag), expressing what positivity I could since I had really enjoyed the overall vibe when I had been able to (we’ll get to that soon).
I think I said, “This would be great for somebody who likes werewolf stories,” and listen, while that is not entirely untrue, I would say that what is going on in Veštica is a lot more about legends, the truths behind those legends, and the lengths we go to in order to protect the ones we love. To be frank, I don’t think there are any actual werewolves at all, though there is something akin to that, just cooler.
That first time I was trying to read Veštica, I was on my lunch break at work. I put my headphones in while I ate at my desk, letting the Kindle app on my phone read it to me. When I am out walking or even driving, doing errands, this method for taking in a book is usually pretty rad. Not quite as good as a real audiobookread by a human being, but a fair enough experience. This day, however, I was getting interrupted on my lunch break to help people press the power button on their printer or whatever other tech problem that needed my assistance. I don’t think I got to listen to Veštica for more than a minute or two at a time without getting sidetracked.
I tried to remedy this by pushing through and listening while I worked. It was under these circumstances that I decided a few things. The book’s opening was pure magic. I was impressed right away and pulled into the scene without a problem. That part is still true. I also concluded it was a werewolf fairytale, with possible romance vibes (I genuinely don’t know how I came to that conclusion). This claim was mostly untrue.
Miller ended up winning a Poe collection from a little contest I held, and in gracious return she sent me a signed copy of Veštica, which I was more than thrilled to have, seeing as the cover is gorgeous (I heard it won awards). So, one weekend, I sat down and started the story again, from the beginning. The opening is still magic. The thing is, so is the rest of the story.
By the time it was over, I had experienced a wide range of emotions, not the least of which was fear, that had me lingering in a bittersweet melancholy for a while afterwards.
The opening scene takes you to a campfire somewhere in the damp, dark woods. You are but a wee one, scampering about as one of the elders tells tales. I could see clearly the flicker of the fire against the impenetrable blackness. Smell the wet earth and acrid smoke. Miller does this magic trick several times. Once later, during a scene with some men waiting and gossiping, again, I could feel the cold mud caking my boots, making them heavy, soaking into the itchy wool of my vestments. Much of the time, I felt the same atmosphere and weight one feels while watching Egger’s The VVitch or The Lighthouse. By the time it was over, it was every bit as dark as either of those films.
Veštica is a story told in three acts. The first is what appears to be a true folktale. A story told to both scare the young ones and make them feel protected at the same time, of a beastly, yet aged and wise, guardian known as Dabog, who lives near the border of our world and the darker world of the night, protecting us and holding balance between light and dark.
This is where I am going to digress to say: Much of the folklore contained in Veštica is unknown to me, yet strangely familiar to other concepts I know from other stories and folktales. I am likely to get some of the details wrong. I would like to read the book again. Also, I do not know how much of this is directly lifted from pre-existing folktales, nor how much of it is Miller’s own creation. I suspect it might be a mix of the two, leaning toward using real characters from existing lore.
The second act, seemingly unconnected to the first, serves to familiarize us with more figures from the lore. Here, Evica, a young woman with spiritual gifts, experiences the astral plane during a ritual near the mouth of a cave. She meets a spirit guide of sorts, but her magic, both a gift and a curse, attracts an evil force as well. This leads to her being exposed as a veštica (you’ll have to read to find out), forcing her to go into hiding. This is a sacrifice she is willing to make to protect those she loves.
The third act is the original story. Miller explained that Act III was the short that accompanied the cover in the very same contest where it won awards. Acts I and II were added for this release. It was when I read the final bit that everything came together. Veštica was a book that I didn’t fully understand until I was finished with it, or rather, should I say, until it was finished with me.
My main complaint about this book is that it can be confusing sometimes. As a guy who likes a confusing narrative, this isn’t so much a complaint as a warning. I am willing to let go, just let a scene happen, and not try to force everything to make sense from moment to moment. I like putting a puzzle together. Until Act III, I wasn’t sure how everything was relevant. At the end, I didn’t have any questions about that.
The final third takes everything we’ve learned and ratchets up the tension and effect. The real-life horror and danger are very present here. I chalk this all up to another trick that Miller has pulled. The first act was almost fully magical. A literal story for children, albeit a hardcore one. The second part straddled the line between a more real-life story and a magical world just on the other side. The third act stays far more rooted in the real-life part, with the magic operating on the boundaries and in unexpected and sinister ways.
I was gripped through the ending third that plays out like a domestic drama where the myths and the superstitions around them can be used like weapons to cover up atrocities and punish the innocent. The horror here is human. The darkness, in the hearts of men. Though I was initially confused by the opening parts, by the time it was over, I understood that Miller had been setting the table with the necessary players and ideas all along so that the ending could knock the wind out of me. Well done.
In conclusion, I am sorry that I underestimated this dark little book. Yes, it is a fairy tale. Yes, it is actually quite scary. Yes, it will hurt you.
(Okay, also. This whole book gives spooky October vibes. Bye.) ...more

Matthew Jon liked Kira K's review of The Dog Days of Youth (Killer Mike and the Blood Slugs #1):

The Dog Days of Youth by Matthew Jon Smith

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I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. I really appreciated the author's note at the beginning vaguely warning everyone what was to come as it is seen by some as a writing sin so we can choose w" Read more of this review »

Matthew Jon is now following Zane and Dan Mckeithan

Matthew Jon liked Jen Self's review of Killer Mike and the Blood Slugs - The Leap of Faith: A Horror Story:

"What an awesome addition to the Killer Mike and the Blood Slugs series! While this isn't as extreme as the other books, it is no less intense! I devoured it in one sitting, and I think this is my new favorite in the series!"

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Author of Ingest Me (The Communion Duet Book 1)

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