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Carry Me to My Grave: A Novel
Not yet published
Expected 21 Jul 26From New York Times bestselling author Christopher Golden comes a high concept horror novel about a man trying to protect his dead mother's body from the evil that is hunting them.
Maggie Wise will take your eyes.
When Malcolm was growing up, the local kids made up that chant about his mother, claiming she was a witch. He and his siblings did their best to ignore it. Now, Maggie is dying, and those same siblings have left Malcolm and his sister-in-law Violet to hold a vigil at her bedside.
But they’re not as alone as they think they are. A dark figure waits and watches from beneath the willow tree across the street. Hundreds of miles away, an ancient evil stirs in its burrow under a farmer’s cornfield. Across the country, other buried things begin to dream in anticipation of Maggie’s demise. On her deathbed, the old woman elicits a promise from Malcolm, her youngest child―when she dies, he and Violet must return her body to her birthplace in Shediak, Maine.
From the moment she takes her last breath, before her remains are even loaded aboard the baggage car of the Imperial Limited, there are forces trying to stop Malcolm from fulfilling that promise. Violence erupts on the train, evil preys on its passengers, and once the sun goes down, those long-buried things are coming to make Maggie Wise pay for her past. God help anyone who stands in their way.
Maggie Wise will take your eyes.
When Malcolm was growing up, the local kids made up that chant about his mother, claiming she was a witch. He and his siblings did their best to ignore it. Now, Maggie is dying, and those same siblings have left Malcolm and his sister-in-law Violet to hold a vigil at her bedside.
But they’re not as alone as they think they are. A dark figure waits and watches from beneath the willow tree across the street. Hundreds of miles away, an ancient evil stirs in its burrow under a farmer’s cornfield. Across the country, other buried things begin to dream in anticipation of Maggie’s demise. On her deathbed, the old woman elicits a promise from Malcolm, her youngest child―when she dies, he and Violet must return her body to her birthplace in Shediak, Maine.
From the moment she takes her last breath, before her remains are even loaded aboard the baggage car of the Imperial Limited, there are forces trying to stop Malcolm from fulfilling that promise. Violence erupts on the train, evil preys on its passengers, and once the sun goes down, those long-buried things are coming to make Maggie Wise pay for her past. God help anyone who stands in their way.
Kindle Edition
Expected publication July 21, 2026
21 people are currently reading
8640 people want to read
About the author
Christopher Golden
771 books3,029 followersCHRISTOPHER GOLDEN is the New York Times bestselling, Bram Stoker Award-winning author of such novels as Road of Bones, Ararat, Snowblind, Of Saints and Shadows, and Red Hands. With Mike Mignola, he is the co-creator of the Outerverse comic book universe, including such series as Baltimore, Joe Golem: Occult Detective, and Lady Baltimore. As an editor, he has worked on the short story anthologies Seize the Night, Dark Cities, and The New Dead, among others, and he has also written and co-written comic books, video games, screenplays, and a network television pilot. Golden co-hosts the podcast Defenders Dialogue with horror author Brian Keene. In 2015 he founded the popular Merrimack Valley Halloween Book Festival. He was born and raised in Massachusetts, where he still lives with his family. His work has been nominated for the British Fantasy Award, the Eisner Award, and multiple Shirley Jackson Awards. For the Bram Stoker Awards, Golden has been nominated ten times in eight different categories. His original novels have been published in more than fifteen languages in countries around the world. Please visit him at www.christophergolden.com
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January 23, 2026OMG this cover is SO GOOD!!
I've loved quite a few stories from this author! Excited for 2026 to read this one!! 😍😍
Pub Date: July 2026!!!
OMG ARC REC'D THANK YOU!!!
A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.
I've loved quite a few stories from this author! Excited for 2026 to read this one!! 😍😍
Pub Date: July 2026!!!
OMG ARC REC'D THANK YOU!!!
A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.
Currently reading
March 28, 2026Reading for review in the June issue of Library Journal.
March 10, 2026
Christopher Golden is like my Stephen King. He’s a comfort read and I know I’ll always enjoy whatever he writes.
When I need a slow burn with well fleshed out characters, Golden is who I turn to. And this one did not disappoint. The relationships between the characters are beautiful and complex. The setting moves throughout the story and I thought that added a fast paced element that kept the read interesting. This read is frightening, heart breaking, and suspenseful.
Thank you to NetGalley & the author for the eARC.
When I need a slow burn with well fleshed out characters, Golden is who I turn to. And this one did not disappoint. The relationships between the characters are beautiful and complex. The setting moves throughout the story and I thought that added a fast paced element that kept the read interesting. This read is frightening, heart breaking, and suspenseful.
Thank you to NetGalley & the author for the eARC.
March 21, 2026
Thank you to St Martin’s Press for providing this ARC for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
Carry Me To My Grave by Christopher Golden is a horror novel about Malcolm, a Korean War veteran with a complex family. Following the death of his mother, Maggie, it becomes abundantly clear that the childhood rumors that she was a witch have more than weight behind them as an eldritch evil arises and attempts to stop her burial hundreds of miles away in Maine. In the course of 48 hours they must transport her body to its final resting place, despite powerful forces trying to stop them.
This book is the kind of action-oriented, high detail novel that really lends itself well to the imagination. It really hit me how well this book would lend itself to an action/horror screenplay. Rather than other horror novels that rely on atmospheric or very psychological elements to generate the scary feeling, this one has elements that are thrilling and exciting without being too “creepy.” Sure there are eldrich vampire beings, but there are also car chases, burly Irish enforcer twins, and train crashes. It very much straddles the genre line, which I appreciate.
I also really did love that the characters had a level of complexity. There was a very layered approach to Maggie who is enigmatic, powerful, kind to some, emotionally distant to others, and fully unique as a character. Her motivations are murky purposefully, and the way she treats her children and daughter in law inform their behavior throughout the story. I also appreciated the character of Jennie very much, I thought she was a great example of a literary character with serious mommy issues.
The pacing could be a little strange, especially with the flip-flopping of the perspectives. It takes a minute to get going, but it really does hit streaks of very intense action. However, sometimes in the transition times between the different stops along the journey it feels slow to move on, or like the villain is doing the same thing, with the same motivation, over and over.
In general I feel like this was a very exciting inclusion to the vampire cannon. I could easily recommend this book to someone who loves thrillers and action stories but wants something a little darker. 4/5, a very gripping story.
Carry Me To My Grave by Christopher Golden is a horror novel about Malcolm, a Korean War veteran with a complex family. Following the death of his mother, Maggie, it becomes abundantly clear that the childhood rumors that she was a witch have more than weight behind them as an eldritch evil arises and attempts to stop her burial hundreds of miles away in Maine. In the course of 48 hours they must transport her body to its final resting place, despite powerful forces trying to stop them.
This book is the kind of action-oriented, high detail novel that really lends itself well to the imagination. It really hit me how well this book would lend itself to an action/horror screenplay. Rather than other horror novels that rely on atmospheric or very psychological elements to generate the scary feeling, this one has elements that are thrilling and exciting without being too “creepy.” Sure there are eldrich vampire beings, but there are also car chases, burly Irish enforcer twins, and train crashes. It very much straddles the genre line, which I appreciate.
I also really did love that the characters had a level of complexity. There was a very layered approach to Maggie who is enigmatic, powerful, kind to some, emotionally distant to others, and fully unique as a character. Her motivations are murky purposefully, and the way she treats her children and daughter in law inform their behavior throughout the story. I also appreciated the character of Jennie very much, I thought she was a great example of a literary character with serious mommy issues.
The pacing could be a little strange, especially with the flip-flopping of the perspectives. It takes a minute to get going, but it really does hit streaks of very intense action. However, sometimes in the transition times between the different stops along the journey it feels slow to move on, or like the villain is doing the same thing, with the same motivation, over and over.
In general I feel like this was a very exciting inclusion to the vampire cannon. I could easily recommend this book to someone who loves thrillers and action stories but wants something a little darker. 4/5, a very gripping story.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martins Press for this ARC. I find many horror books silly and definitely not scary. This book had me on the edge of my seat. I screamed for them to run. I shut my kindle so many times as I couldn't bear what was gonna happen next. This was a humdinger of a witchcraft and vampire combo. Malcolm and Violet are set to bury Malcolm's mom in Shediak, Maine before sunrise two days after her death. Evil comes out of the woodwork to stop them from completing their task. This is a story of good and evil, but also a story of family and listening to your inner self and what it truly tells you. I look forward to reading more terror and gore from this author.
February 16, 2026
Beautifully written, action and terror on each others heels in this race for humanity. A terrifying look into the long reach of family bonds and the cost of keeping our word, Malcolm and sister-in-law Violet go on the run after mom Maggie passes, leaving the most bizarre instructions for her burial. With help from some terrifying hired guns, they begin a journey unlike anything in their lifetime, and holding on is all the help they'll have. Golden returns to the age of Road of Bones with the gore and terror within these pages, and I for one am glad to see his return. 10/10, no notes.
January 28, 2026
Once you make it past the first 10-15% this book grabs ahold of you and doesn’t let go. The characters are written in such a way that you don’t know who to hate and who to root for. While this wasn’t my favorite Christopher Golden novel, it was enjoyable overall and a good horror read!
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Thank you so, so much Christopher Golden for my advanced copy of this book!!
From the very first page, this story will captivate you and keep you anxious to continue reading! I spent so much time thinking about this book even when I was not reading it. The characters are so fantastically written, you feel as though you're right there experiencing the tension and fear with them. You will be completely emotionally invested in their stories ans their lives. You understand why they are who they are and why they make the choices they do. The twists and turns, the monsters, the high anxiety moments... everything about this book is perfect from start to finish. I don't want to give any of the plot away but I can say with completely confidence that you should read this book.
From the very first page, this story will captivate you and keep you anxious to continue reading! I spent so much time thinking about this book even when I was not reading it. The characters are so fantastically written, you feel as though you're right there experiencing the tension and fear with them. You will be completely emotionally invested in their stories ans their lives. You understand why they are who they are and why they make the choices they do. The twists and turns, the monsters, the high anxiety moments... everything about this book is perfect from start to finish. I don't want to give any of the plot away but I can say with completely confidence that you should read this book.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Christopher Golden's books always pull me in with their amazing blurbs, but I often find them a little lacking in execution. Carry Me to My Grave is no exception, but I went into it expecting that to be the case so I guess I wasn't really disappointed?
The Good: This novel isn't nearly as depressing as some of Golden's other books. I mean, sure, things are not all sunshine and rainbows — it's a horror novel. And the characters are kind of broken and there's lots of childhood trauma for some of them to work though, but overall it ended … not as traumatically as it could have? If you've read any of his other books, you know that this is a rarity. (Here's looking at you, The House of Last Resort.)
This is also a pretty fast-paced read, and it's certainly a nail-biter in parts. The entire story is a race against the clock and it's hard to put down once things really kick into gear. No complaints there. It's not fine literature but it's entertaining enough.
Honestly, I've decided that Golden's books kind of remind me of Dean Koontz? They're what I consider “pop horror,” which might be an actual term that means something completely different than what I've made up in my head, but for me it's a horror novel that's decently scary and not an unpleasant read, but that isn't particularly deep or literary or anything super memorable. You read it and enjoy it well enough and then you forget about it. (Note: This does not apply to Dean Koontz's Intensity. That book traumatized me as a teenager and is the sole reason that I insist on having a security system in my house.) This is not necessarily a bad thing — I worshipped Koontz back in the day.
The Meh: This novel honestly reminded me a lot of his previous book, The Night Birds. Change the setting from a ship to a train and the monsters from witches to vampires, and there you go. I mean, the plot lines are obviously different and so it's not the same story, but in both books all of the action revolves around the main characters fighting off a group of supernatural villains over and over while dealing with major personal issues.
Also, can we talk about these vampires for a moment? They're certainly not traditional vampires and that's fine, but I didn't even realize that they were vampires until I was well into the novel. (Actually, I realized it when I looked at the Goodreads page for this book and saw that it was tagged “vampires.”) They are eventually called vampires by the main characters and so then it's much easier to pull all of the details together and go “oh, yeah, that makes sense!” But I initially imagined these creatures looking kind of like Groot from Guardians of the Galaxy and that doesn't exactly scream vampire to me. Maybe this is just a “me being daft” thing (I'll admit that it's a possibility), but I sort of feel that if you're writing about well-known supernatural creatures, those creatures should be recognizable to your readers as those creatures? I dunno, I could be wrong here, please don't yell at me.
Anyway, Carry Me to My Grave is a fast-paced, entertaining read that I'll likely have completely forgotten in a few weeks. It doesn't reinvent the (blood-splattered) wheel as far as horror goes, but it's pretty much exactly what I expected it to be.
3.5 stars, rounded up. (Could we please, please, please have half stars, Goodreads? Four stars feels wrong but three isn't right either.)
Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with an advance copy of this book to review. Its expected publication date is July 21, 2026.
The Good: This novel isn't nearly as depressing as some of Golden's other books. I mean, sure, things are not all sunshine and rainbows — it's a horror novel. And the characters are kind of broken and there's lots of childhood trauma for some of them to work though, but overall it ended … not as traumatically as it could have? If you've read any of his other books, you know that this is a rarity. (Here's looking at you, The House of Last Resort.)
This is also a pretty fast-paced read, and it's certainly a nail-biter in parts. The entire story is a race against the clock and it's hard to put down once things really kick into gear. No complaints there. It's not fine literature but it's entertaining enough.
Honestly, I've decided that Golden's books kind of remind me of Dean Koontz? They're what I consider “pop horror,” which might be an actual term that means something completely different than what I've made up in my head, but for me it's a horror novel that's decently scary and not an unpleasant read, but that isn't particularly deep or literary or anything super memorable. You read it and enjoy it well enough and then you forget about it. (Note: This does not apply to Dean Koontz's Intensity. That book traumatized me as a teenager and is the sole reason that I insist on having a security system in my house.) This is not necessarily a bad thing — I worshipped Koontz back in the day.
The Meh: This novel honestly reminded me a lot of his previous book, The Night Birds. Change the setting from a ship to a train and the monsters from witches to vampires, and there you go. I mean, the plot lines are obviously different and so it's not the same story, but in both books all of the action revolves around the main characters fighting off a group of supernatural villains over and over while dealing with major personal issues.
Also, can we talk about these vampires for a moment? They're certainly not traditional vampires and that's fine, but I didn't even realize that they were vampires until I was well into the novel. (Actually, I realized it when I looked at the Goodreads page for this book and saw that it was tagged “vampires.”) They are eventually called vampires by the main characters and so then it's much easier to pull all of the details together and go “oh, yeah, that makes sense!” But I initially imagined these creatures looking kind of like Groot from Guardians of the Galaxy and that doesn't exactly scream vampire to me. Maybe this is just a “me being daft” thing (I'll admit that it's a possibility), but I sort of feel that if you're writing about well-known supernatural creatures, those creatures should be recognizable to your readers as those creatures? I dunno, I could be wrong here, please don't yell at me.
Anyway, Carry Me to My Grave is a fast-paced, entertaining read that I'll likely have completely forgotten in a few weeks. It doesn't reinvent the (blood-splattered) wheel as far as horror goes, but it's pretty much exactly what I expected it to be.
3.5 stars, rounded up. (Could we please, please, please have half stars, Goodreads? Four stars feels wrong but three isn't right either.)
Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with an advance copy of this book to review. Its expected publication date is July 21, 2026.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Every time I read a Christopher Golden book, I find myself saying “I have to start talking about this dude in the same breaths as Laird Barron, John Langan, Adam Nevill, and the rest of my favorite horror writers (or writers, period, really.)” But then for whatever reason, I never do. Until he releases another banger that further cements the fact that he is absolutely one of my favorites. Initially, it was Road of Bones. Last year, it was The Night Birds. Now, it’s Carry Me to My Grave.
Maggie Wise is dying. And as she inches closer to her last breath, other things are stirring. Ancient things. Evil things. Maggie’s death will herald their return, unless her youngest son, Malcolm -a Korean War veteran and the only of Maggie’s three children to remain at their home in Elkart, Indiana, to care for their dying mother - can transport her body to her birthplace of Shediak, Maine. Aided by his brother’s estranged wife and an Irish bodyguard-for-hire, Malcolm races against both time and the unfathomable horrors rising from the earth to lay his mother to rest before it’s too late.
Golden excels at writing horror that is visceral and jarring. And there’s always an element of the characters having to operate in close proximity to it, so that the danger - and therefore, the tension - is always present. In The Night Birds, one of the witches is on the boat, and you’re unsure of whether she’s helping or harming. Here in Carry Me To My Grave, there’s not only Benjy, who is under the spell of the monsters, but also Maggie herself - dead, but is she really? That dynamic, coupled with the complicated family dynamics that are so palpable that they’re basically an extra passenger, leaves you constantly wondering which will happen first - the characters being ripped apart physically or emotionally.
If you liked Road of Bones and The Night Birds, this one operates directly from that same pocket. You won’t be disappointed. Also for fans of: Matthew Lyons’ Mask of Flies and C.S. Humble’s The Light Sublime Trilogy.
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!
Maggie Wise is dying. And as she inches closer to her last breath, other things are stirring. Ancient things. Evil things. Maggie’s death will herald their return, unless her youngest son, Malcolm -a Korean War veteran and the only of Maggie’s three children to remain at their home in Elkart, Indiana, to care for their dying mother - can transport her body to her birthplace of Shediak, Maine. Aided by his brother’s estranged wife and an Irish bodyguard-for-hire, Malcolm races against both time and the unfathomable horrors rising from the earth to lay his mother to rest before it’s too late.
Golden excels at writing horror that is visceral and jarring. And there’s always an element of the characters having to operate in close proximity to it, so that the danger - and therefore, the tension - is always present. In The Night Birds, one of the witches is on the boat, and you’re unsure of whether she’s helping or harming. Here in Carry Me To My Grave, there’s not only Benjy, who is under the spell of the monsters, but also Maggie herself - dead, but is she really? That dynamic, coupled with the complicated family dynamics that are so palpable that they’re basically an extra passenger, leaves you constantly wondering which will happen first - the characters being ripped apart physically or emotionally.
If you liked Road of Bones and The Night Birds, this one operates directly from that same pocket. You won’t be disappointed. Also for fans of: Matthew Lyons’ Mask of Flies and C.S. Humble’s The Light Sublime Trilogy.
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!
February 27, 2026
5 stars
Many of my favorite horror stories use horror to explore deeper, human struggles around love, loss, or family trauma. In Carry Me To My Grave, author Christopher Golden has given me exactly what I wanted and I could not have enjoyed this book more. While reading, I found myself thinking of the movies Sinners and Big Fish, with a dash of Lord of the Rings.
The narrative revolves around main character Malcom Wise whose mother Maggie, who may be an actual witch, is dying. Keeping vigil at her bedside with Malcom is Violet, the wife of his older brother Elias. Their relationship is complicated, to say the least. Just before her death, Maggie gives Malcom strict instructions, which he must follow after her death, or the world as they know it is doomed. He must take her body and bury it on the island in Maine where she was raised within two days.
Various characters show up to either help or hinder Malcom on his quest including his long lost sister Jennie, the oldest of Maggie’s three children, the no-good gambling, womanizing Elias, the middle child and estranged husband of Violet, and a host of monsters that have risen to prevent Maggie’s burial which would end the curse that kept them imprisoned underground. I love the unique take on vampires here, monstrous and evil. The way Malcom’s family shifts and changes throughout kept me extremely engaged. The pacing was consistent and I found myself reading long after I should have put the book down because I was so immersed in this world.
I would highly recommend this book to fans of this author’s prior works, and horror fans in general. Some of the things I loved which you might also enjoy include: late 1950’s setting, a train, vampires, family bonds, found family, a clear quest, no animal death, and a satisfying ending. If you’re a horror fan, I really hope you pick this up.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the eArc of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Many of my favorite horror stories use horror to explore deeper, human struggles around love, loss, or family trauma. In Carry Me To My Grave, author Christopher Golden has given me exactly what I wanted and I could not have enjoyed this book more. While reading, I found myself thinking of the movies Sinners and Big Fish, with a dash of Lord of the Rings.
The narrative revolves around main character Malcom Wise whose mother Maggie, who may be an actual witch, is dying. Keeping vigil at her bedside with Malcom is Violet, the wife of his older brother Elias. Their relationship is complicated, to say the least. Just before her death, Maggie gives Malcom strict instructions, which he must follow after her death, or the world as they know it is doomed. He must take her body and bury it on the island in Maine where she was raised within two days.
Various characters show up to either help or hinder Malcom on his quest including his long lost sister Jennie, the oldest of Maggie’s three children, the no-good gambling, womanizing Elias, the middle child and estranged husband of Violet, and a host of monsters that have risen to prevent Maggie’s burial which would end the curse that kept them imprisoned underground. I love the unique take on vampires here, monstrous and evil. The way Malcom’s family shifts and changes throughout kept me extremely engaged. The pacing was consistent and I found myself reading long after I should have put the book down because I was so immersed in this world.
I would highly recommend this book to fans of this author’s prior works, and horror fans in general. Some of the things I loved which you might also enjoy include: late 1950’s setting, a train, vampires, family bonds, found family, a clear quest, no animal death, and a satisfying ending. If you’re a horror fan, I really hope you pick this up.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the eArc of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from Goodreads Giveaways
My thanks to St. Martin's Press, Christopher Golden and Netgalley.
Well, good god ya'll! I'll tell ya' what! This was one humdinger of a tale! Now those of you who have been reading my gosh awful reviews for years know that I do love me some scary arsed vampires. Next to Windigos "which truly terrify me" vampires are one of my favorite tropes. Mr. Man. certainly didn't hold back on these ones. The last vampire book that creeped me out so much took place on a submarine of all things! Claustrophobic and terrifying! This? Traveling in a boxcar and then a car in a winter storm in the Northeast. Again, claustrophobic and really, truly freaking nerve-wracking! Matter of fact, I was cussing. Alot! Mostly alot of son of a b, go, go, go! It was utterly fantastic! Got my heart racing like I was taking my first 75 foot dive into the water. Granted, I may never grow my fingernails back and thankfully I'm too old to be biting my toe nails off. Not that I can't reach them, I'm just 62. 62 year old nails are much tougher than I am!
I'll admit that it's pretty damned difficult to find scary vampires in this day and age. Vampires are not meant to be romantic.
Brian Lumley, is for me the best of the best when it comes to the most inhumane, grotesque and "in my case" nightmare inducucing VAMPHYRII. If you love the real scares of vampires then give Lumleys Necroscope series a chance. You probably won't regret it. "If you can get past all the exclamation points". Christopher Golden's own Vampire series is pretty damned good too. Not scary, but the historical figures and it's context are weird, funky and wonderful.
My one and only hesitation or maybe reserve that I had with this story was that I didn't really feel much of a connection to the characters. Which is something that I found strange. Mostly because we spent so much time with them. In their heads. Out of. For me, it was an odd kind of disconnect. And, I suppose that I only mention it because Mr. Golden is usually fairly good with building up his characters. For whatever reason this time I had a hard time connecting.
This review may or may not suck!
I gave up writing them a few years ago when I became sick. I was nearly non verbal for a few years, but I'm slowly trying to find my way back.
Part of my recovery will include me trying to review again.
Honestly? I'm just hoping to recover my dry sense of humor. Or any really. Small steps.
Well, good god ya'll! I'll tell ya' what! This was one humdinger of a tale! Now those of you who have been reading my gosh awful reviews for years know that I do love me some scary arsed vampires. Next to Windigos "which truly terrify me" vampires are one of my favorite tropes. Mr. Man. certainly didn't hold back on these ones. The last vampire book that creeped me out so much took place on a submarine of all things! Claustrophobic and terrifying! This? Traveling in a boxcar and then a car in a winter storm in the Northeast. Again, claustrophobic and really, truly freaking nerve-wracking! Matter of fact, I was cussing. Alot! Mostly alot of son of a b, go, go, go! It was utterly fantastic! Got my heart racing like I was taking my first 75 foot dive into the water. Granted, I may never grow my fingernails back and thankfully I'm too old to be biting my toe nails off. Not that I can't reach them, I'm just 62. 62 year old nails are much tougher than I am!
I'll admit that it's pretty damned difficult to find scary vampires in this day and age. Vampires are not meant to be romantic.
Brian Lumley, is for me the best of the best when it comes to the most inhumane, grotesque and "in my case" nightmare inducucing VAMPHYRII. If you love the real scares of vampires then give Lumleys Necroscope series a chance. You probably won't regret it. "If you can get past all the exclamation points". Christopher Golden's own Vampire series is pretty damned good too. Not scary, but the historical figures and it's context are weird, funky and wonderful.
My one and only hesitation or maybe reserve that I had with this story was that I didn't really feel much of a connection to the characters. Which is something that I found strange. Mostly because we spent so much time with them. In their heads. Out of. For me, it was an odd kind of disconnect. And, I suppose that I only mention it because Mr. Golden is usually fairly good with building up his characters. For whatever reason this time I had a hard time connecting.
This review may or may not suck!
I gave up writing them a few years ago when I became sick. I was nearly non verbal for a few years, but I'm slowly trying to find my way back.
Part of my recovery will include me trying to review again.
Honestly? I'm just hoping to recover my dry sense of humor. Or any really. Small steps.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Golden’s latest work, much like last his last one in “The Night Birds”, shows that he truly excels in setting up an engaging, unique plot with an atmospheric setting. While the book is mysterious and gripping in its beginning, it did seem to drag for me in its middle section, as the action scenes became somewhat repetitive.
The main area where I would have liked to see more is in character development and backstory for the three siblings. Malcolm and Violet are both great characters that are fleshed out well (although getting more of Malcolm’s experiences in flashbacks to the Korean War could have been helpful in developing his character). However, both Jennie and Elias lack sustained character development and with so little coverage given to their childhood or their upbringing, it sort of lessens the stakes in the last third of the book. Near the very end, we finally do get a few brief glimpses of the sibling dynamic as kids and teenagers, and it did enrich the story quite a bit but it felt like “too little, too late.” I also felt like the 1950s setting could have been mined more, because other than references to the Korean War, I never got much of a sense that they were actually living in the 1950s.
Instead, the point-of-views that we do get from Elias’s perspective, as well as Benjy’s are not particularly interesting and tend to be quite repetitious in just being inner monologues of their internal struggles. The chapters about Benjy’s family, while helping to build a mystery, could perhaps have been discarded in favor of chapters from Maggie Wise’s life, or from the Wise children’s upbringing. Despite that, there is some interesting world-building that has been created here where a sequel doing more character development of their past could be used, as this one ended fairly abruptly.
3.5 stars rounded up.
Thanks to NetGalley for the advance copy!
The main area where I would have liked to see more is in character development and backstory for the three siblings. Malcolm and Violet are both great characters that are fleshed out well (although getting more of Malcolm’s experiences in flashbacks to the Korean War could have been helpful in developing his character). However, both Jennie and Elias lack sustained character development and with so little coverage given to their childhood or their upbringing, it sort of lessens the stakes in the last third of the book. Near the very end, we finally do get a few brief glimpses of the sibling dynamic as kids and teenagers, and it did enrich the story quite a bit but it felt like “too little, too late.” I also felt like the 1950s setting could have been mined more, because other than references to the Korean War, I never got much of a sense that they were actually living in the 1950s.
Instead, the point-of-views that we do get from Elias’s perspective, as well as Benjy’s are not particularly interesting and tend to be quite repetitious in just being inner monologues of their internal struggles. The chapters about Benjy’s family, while helping to build a mystery, could perhaps have been discarded in favor of chapters from Maggie Wise’s life, or from the Wise children’s upbringing. Despite that, there is some interesting world-building that has been created here where a sequel doing more character development of their past could be used, as this one ended fairly abruptly.
3.5 stars rounded up.
Thanks to NetGalley for the advance copy!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Author Christopher Golden is a master in taking everyday human messiness and letting something monstrous crawl right on in. His latest, Carry Me To My Grave, is grief with teeth. Family drama with fangs. And yes, it absolutely rips.
Carry Me To My Grave is a road trip from hell – with something chasing in the rearview.
The Wise family is already accustomed to emphasizing the “fun” in “dysfunction” by the time matriarch Maggie dies. But this is a Christopher Golden story, so death ain’t the hard part of this tale; it is merely the beginning. Maggie’s death doesn’t bring closure, it kicks open the door to something ancient, hungry, and very much awake. Malcolm Wise and Violet, his sister-in-law and unspoken love, are tasked with the creepy-cool command to carry Maggie’s body to her grave in Shediak, Maine. Simple job. Except for the undead swarm determined to make sure that body never reaches it.
Golden keeps the pressure high, blending emotional fallout with relentless horror. The vampires here are not subtle or seductive, led by the chilling Root, and the story rarely pauses to breathe. Snow, darkness, and desperation follow the Wise family at every turn, turning this into a road trip from hell that never lets up. The pace is relentless, the tension constant, the pages practically dare you to stop reading. And dig it: you won’t.
Creepy, fast, and just a little mythic, Carry Me To My Grave is the kind of horror that is at its best when it’s personal. Golden knows how to make the genre so damn intimate.
Some things don’t stay buried… and this one’s hard to put down.
Thank you, St. Martin’s Press, for this invitation to Christopher Golden’s latest nightmare. And be sure to sink your teeth into the full book review on Read @ Joe's.
Carry Me To My Grave is a road trip from hell – with something chasing in the rearview.
The Wise family is already accustomed to emphasizing the “fun” in “dysfunction” by the time matriarch Maggie dies. But this is a Christopher Golden story, so death ain’t the hard part of this tale; it is merely the beginning. Maggie’s death doesn’t bring closure, it kicks open the door to something ancient, hungry, and very much awake. Malcolm Wise and Violet, his sister-in-law and unspoken love, are tasked with the creepy-cool command to carry Maggie’s body to her grave in Shediak, Maine. Simple job. Except for the undead swarm determined to make sure that body never reaches it.
Golden keeps the pressure high, blending emotional fallout with relentless horror. The vampires here are not subtle or seductive, led by the chilling Root, and the story rarely pauses to breathe. Snow, darkness, and desperation follow the Wise family at every turn, turning this into a road trip from hell that never lets up. The pace is relentless, the tension constant, the pages practically dare you to stop reading. And dig it: you won’t.
Creepy, fast, and just a little mythic, Carry Me To My Grave is the kind of horror that is at its best when it’s personal. Golden knows how to make the genre so damn intimate.
Some things don’t stay buried… and this one’s hard to put down.
Thank you, St. Martin’s Press, for this invitation to Christopher Golden’s latest nightmare. And be sure to sink your teeth into the full book review on Read @ Joe's.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Who is Maggie Wise? Is she a witch? A good mother? A bad mother? Who Maggie actually is, or will become, is at the heart of this atmospheric horror novel.
As the story begins, Maggie is dying. Standing vigil at her bedside are her second son, Malcolm, and her first son’s wife, Violet. The whereabouts of said first son, Elias, and Maggie’s daughter, Jennie, are unknown. Malcolm has made a promise to his dying mother – he will transport her corpse to the place of her birth, hundreds of miles away, and bury her there. Further, this task must be accomplished in the 48 hours following her death. The whys and wherefores of this promise are unknown because Maggie isn’t telling but she insists time is of the essence.
But Malcolm and Violet aren’t the only ones standing vigil for Maggie Wise. A stranger is lurking in the darkness outside, wearing a mask that makes him look like a raven. He’s been there for hours, staring at the house, waiting.
As this family drama in Elkhart, Indiana plays out, miles away in a cornfield, a young boy, Benjy, discovers something unusual. The ground around an old tree has erupted. He brings his parents to share in his discovery. What follows is the stuff of nightmares.
Carry Me to My Grave kept me enthralled from page one to its harrowing conclusion. The writing is tight, the characters deftly drawn, and the plot is compelling. A real page-turner, this is one of the best horror novels I’ve read in a long time and is highly recommended for horror fans and those who love a new twist on the old vampire legend.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a free ARC copy of this exciting novel.
As the story begins, Maggie is dying. Standing vigil at her bedside are her second son, Malcolm, and her first son’s wife, Violet. The whereabouts of said first son, Elias, and Maggie’s daughter, Jennie, are unknown. Malcolm has made a promise to his dying mother – he will transport her corpse to the place of her birth, hundreds of miles away, and bury her there. Further, this task must be accomplished in the 48 hours following her death. The whys and wherefores of this promise are unknown because Maggie isn’t telling but she insists time is of the essence.
But Malcolm and Violet aren’t the only ones standing vigil for Maggie Wise. A stranger is lurking in the darkness outside, wearing a mask that makes him look like a raven. He’s been there for hours, staring at the house, waiting.
As this family drama in Elkhart, Indiana plays out, miles away in a cornfield, a young boy, Benjy, discovers something unusual. The ground around an old tree has erupted. He brings his parents to share in his discovery. What follows is the stuff of nightmares.
Carry Me to My Grave kept me enthralled from page one to its harrowing conclusion. The writing is tight, the characters deftly drawn, and the plot is compelling. A real page-turner, this is one of the best horror novels I’ve read in a long time and is highly recommended for horror fans and those who love a new twist on the old vampire legend.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a free ARC copy of this exciting novel.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
With a somber, reflective, and quietly unsettling tone, Carry Me To My Grave unfolds as a solid, atmospheric ghost story that left me more contemplative than rattled. Even as the supernatural seeps into the narrative, a steady current of melancholy flows beneath the mystery, favoring moral reckoning over spectacle. The atmosphere is easily the novel’s greatest strength. Its damp and shadow-laced, thick with the hush of secrets long interred and the lingering weight of what refuses to stay buried.
Golden has a real gift for atmosphere. The past feels uncomfortably close, pressing against the present in ways that are hard to ignore, and the haunting gives the story a meaningful emotional core. The secrets unravel with deliberate care, and the themes of guilt and long-buried truth lend weight to what might otherwise have been a more conventional ghost story.
That said, the tension simmers rather than ignites. I kept anticipating a sharp turn or a moment of true escalation that never quite materialized. The horror settles into quiet reflection instead of outright fear so readers looking for chilling or pulse-quickening scares may find the experience restrained, even subdued.
Overall, Golden delivers a horror novel steeped in atmosphere. Its patient, restrained, and heavy with sorrow but it never quite reaches the intensity or emotional impact I was hoping for. It’s a worthwhile read for those who appreciate slow-burn, morally driven supernatural fiction, even if it doesn’t strike with full force.
Golden has a real gift for atmosphere. The past feels uncomfortably close, pressing against the present in ways that are hard to ignore, and the haunting gives the story a meaningful emotional core. The secrets unravel with deliberate care, and the themes of guilt and long-buried truth lend weight to what might otherwise have been a more conventional ghost story.
That said, the tension simmers rather than ignites. I kept anticipating a sharp turn or a moment of true escalation that never quite materialized. The horror settles into quiet reflection instead of outright fear so readers looking for chilling or pulse-quickening scares may find the experience restrained, even subdued.
Overall, Golden delivers a horror novel steeped in atmosphere. Its patient, restrained, and heavy with sorrow but it never quite reaches the intensity or emotional impact I was hoping for. It’s a worthwhile read for those who appreciate slow-burn, morally driven supernatural fiction, even if it doesn’t strike with full force.
Review of advance copy received from Goodreads Giveaways
This book was great! I got an ARC from Goodreads Giveaways, and I definitely think this book is a must read for horror fans.
Something ancient is rising and Maggie Wise is dying. For Maggie’s son, Malcolm, a strange encounter outside their home leads to the sense that something bad is about to happen with his mother’s passing. Meanwhile, he has promised her that he will make sure she is buried in her hometown (across the country) by the second sunrise after her death. Along with his sister-in-law, Violet, they eventually set off to uphold this promise. They board a train for Maine and gradually come to learn that not everyone on board wants Maggie to make that trip. The ride is intense and gruesome. Their pursuers are vicious and insatiable, leaving a wide swath of death and destruction in their wake. Will they make it in time?
I loved that this story is set on the move with a deadline looming. It definitely keeps you turning pages well after bedtime. The horror is first rate, the creatures are vividly depicted and they are the stuff of the darkest nightmares. All of the characters are relatable, even a few of the monsters have their moments. There are a lot of bits and pieces that create a well-developed backstory left out of this summary, if I tell you everything, what’s the point in reading it yourself, lol? I would definitely recommend this book to any horror fan, especially if you want a fast-paced thrill ride through a nightmare!
Something ancient is rising and Maggie Wise is dying. For Maggie’s son, Malcolm, a strange encounter outside their home leads to the sense that something bad is about to happen with his mother’s passing. Meanwhile, he has promised her that he will make sure she is buried in her hometown (across the country) by the second sunrise after her death. Along with his sister-in-law, Violet, they eventually set off to uphold this promise. They board a train for Maine and gradually come to learn that not everyone on board wants Maggie to make that trip. The ride is intense and gruesome. Their pursuers are vicious and insatiable, leaving a wide swath of death and destruction in their wake. Will they make it in time?
I loved that this story is set on the move with a deadline looming. It definitely keeps you turning pages well after bedtime. The horror is first rate, the creatures are vividly depicted and they are the stuff of the darkest nightmares. All of the characters are relatable, even a few of the monsters have their moments. There are a lot of bits and pieces that create a well-developed backstory left out of this summary, if I tell you everything, what’s the point in reading it yourself, lol? I would definitely recommend this book to any horror fan, especially if you want a fast-paced thrill ride through a nightmare!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Carry me to my grave by Christopher Golden
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
I was sent this by St. Martin's Press through Netgally and it was totally up my ally! I love my spooky little books. This one is about Malcolm and Violet, who are tasked with moving Malcolm's mother and Violet's mother in law Maggie's body to the place of her birth. Unaware to them that the moment she stopped breathing evil was at work and something came unearthed to try to stop them.
I enjoyed it, I will say getting through the first 10-15% of the book was slightly hard but once it got past the train it picked up. Its always hard to write books with a pretty shot time limit on how things need to get done but Christopher did a good job in getting things going. I got some Sinners vibes from the vampires in this book just in the fact that they are of a hive mind and also the brother relationship between Malcolm and Elias who was married to Violet but left her to go gamble and cheat. We also get to see the third Wise sibling, Jen who was the first born and only daughter who just wishes her mother would love her like she did Malcolm. Root was also an interesting concept and I picked him looking kinda like the vourdalak from the movie floor thw same name jist with a bit more roots and such. The concept of this book is good and I liked the characters, it was just a small slog to get through the first little bit unfortunately.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
I was sent this by St. Martin's Press through Netgally and it was totally up my ally! I love my spooky little books. This one is about Malcolm and Violet, who are tasked with moving Malcolm's mother and Violet's mother in law Maggie's body to the place of her birth. Unaware to them that the moment she stopped breathing evil was at work and something came unearthed to try to stop them.
I enjoyed it, I will say getting through the first 10-15% of the book was slightly hard but once it got past the train it picked up. Its always hard to write books with a pretty shot time limit on how things need to get done but Christopher did a good job in getting things going. I got some Sinners vibes from the vampires in this book just in the fact that they are of a hive mind and also the brother relationship between Malcolm and Elias who was married to Violet but left her to go gamble and cheat. We also get to see the third Wise sibling, Jen who was the first born and only daughter who just wishes her mother would love her like she did Malcolm. Root was also an interesting concept and I picked him looking kinda like the vourdalak from the movie floor thw same name jist with a bit more roots and such. The concept of this book is good and I liked the characters, it was just a small slog to get through the first little bit unfortunately.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Although the story itself is fairly straightforward - return Maggie Wise's body to her birthplace - there is a lot going on in this book! We get glimpses of ancient, terrifying creatures, hints of powerful magical systems, and tons of fights, action, death, and destruction. Not to mention all the familial drama! The strict deadline within the story creates considerable tension and high stakes, and there are plenty of great (and sometimes odd) characters in this fast-paced book.
Personally, I found the supernatural lore to be the strongest element. The creatures were reminiscent of those from the Strain, and were plenty creepy and fascinating. And most of all, I wanted to know more of Maggie's story (it feels like there could be an amazing prequel here).
The complicated relationships within the Wise family were well-drawn and complex, but perhaps hammered in a bit too much at times - certain sentiments were repeated liberally throughout the story, before nearly every interaction. And while overall the pacing is good, the story does take a minute to get going, so hang in there!
I think fans of Golden's previous works will find many of his strongest elements also present in this outing, and new readers who like action-packed horror/suspense with supernatural elements will enjoy the ride.
*Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!
Personally, I found the supernatural lore to be the strongest element. The creatures were reminiscent of those from the Strain, and were plenty creepy and fascinating. And most of all, I wanted to know more of Maggie's story (it feels like there could be an amazing prequel here).
The complicated relationships within the Wise family were well-drawn and complex, but perhaps hammered in a bit too much at times - certain sentiments were repeated liberally throughout the story, before nearly every interaction. And while overall the pacing is good, the story does take a minute to get going, so hang in there!
I think fans of Golden's previous works will find many of his strongest elements also present in this outing, and new readers who like action-packed horror/suspense with supernatural elements will enjoy the ride.
*Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I was lucky enough to grab this off Netgalley and after how much I loved Nightbirds I could not wait.
This did not disappoint. I am a little bit obsessed with it and I'm hoping for a audiobook, I have to listen to this immersed 👀.
I thought this was going to be one of those stories of a kid who was brought up maybe with a eccentric mother and others didn't understand and spread rumors, that she's a witch etc.
Fast forward and his mother is dying and it's just him and his brothers wife to stay at her bedside where she makes him promise to take her body to its final resting place when she does, but this dosent feel like a ordinary request, especially not with the dark figure on the edge of everything. If they don't do this the world as they know it will end and they only have two days.
This turns into Maclom having to pretty much find some hired guns to help transport his mother's bodies because things get weirder and more dangerous the closer they get to as evil oozes at every turn, determined to stop them.
Monsters eveywhere are creeping in because if Maggie isn't buried they will finally be released into the world..
This was scary and gore but somehow also emotional as you learned about the family that in current times is broken and fractured, but they weren't always that way.
This book was fantastic.
This did not disappoint. I am a little bit obsessed with it and I'm hoping for a audiobook, I have to listen to this immersed 👀.
I thought this was going to be one of those stories of a kid who was brought up maybe with a eccentric mother and others didn't understand and spread rumors, that she's a witch etc.
Fast forward and his mother is dying and it's just him and his brothers wife to stay at her bedside where she makes him promise to take her body to its final resting place when she does, but this dosent feel like a ordinary request, especially not with the dark figure on the edge of everything. If they don't do this the world as they know it will end and they only have two days.
This turns into Maclom having to pretty much find some hired guns to help transport his mother's bodies because things get weirder and more dangerous the closer they get to as evil oozes at every turn, determined to stop them.
Monsters eveywhere are creeping in because if Maggie isn't buried they will finally be released into the world..
This was scary and gore but somehow also emotional as you learned about the family that in current times is broken and fractured, but they weren't always that way.
This book was fantastic.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thanks to St. Martin's Press via NetGalley for providing a DRC.
I was so excited to get an e-mail offering this DRC. I have come to love Golden's writing, and he is fast becoming one of my favorite authors.
Does every kid think their mother is a witch? For Malcolm, Elias, and Jennie, it just might be true, and the whole town thinks so. The siblings have a fractured relationship stemming from familial trauma from their mother, Maggie, being hot and cold. But Maggie is dying, and Elias' wife, Violet, and Malcolm are there for her last months. Before she dies, Maggie tells Malcolm he has to get her body to Shediak, Maine, and bury her there.
She does not tell him that a curse she placed on some beings hundreds of years ago is about to become undone with her death unless she is buried in the place she first placed the curse.
A wild ride from start to finish, Golden once again proves he is a master weaver of tales. I tore through this book. Golden also is adept at writing the messiness of relationships in all their many forms.
I was so excited to get an e-mail offering this DRC. I have come to love Golden's writing, and he is fast becoming one of my favorite authors.
Does every kid think their mother is a witch? For Malcolm, Elias, and Jennie, it just might be true, and the whole town thinks so. The siblings have a fractured relationship stemming from familial trauma from their mother, Maggie, being hot and cold. But Maggie is dying, and Elias' wife, Violet, and Malcolm are there for her last months. Before she dies, Maggie tells Malcolm he has to get her body to Shediak, Maine, and bury her there.
She does not tell him that a curse she placed on some beings hundreds of years ago is about to become undone with her death unless she is buried in the place she first placed the curse.
A wild ride from start to finish, Golden once again proves he is a master weaver of tales. I tore through this book. Golden also is adept at writing the messiness of relationships in all their many forms.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
After Malcolm's mother dies, he's determined to carry out her final request to bury her in the town she was born in over a thousand miles away. His sister-in-law Violet, who's he's in love with, comes along, as well as a pair of Irish twins hired by his mother before she died. It starts out delightfully weird with a stalker wearing a raven mask and something hiding in the roots of a tree. It quickly becomes a road trip from hell as zombie/vampire-like creatures try to stop his mother from being buried.
The story takes place in 1956, although I often forgot this as the time period doesn't come up that often. Malcom is a Korean war veteran. He fights off hordes of monsters, so it feels like more of an action story than a horror story.
I like that the biggest weakness of the undead monsters is they can't resist stopping to eat bystanders, which slows them down in their pursuit of our heroes. Although, if they are ancient and their appetite really is this ravenous, humans should have become extinct long ago.
I like that Malcolm both loves and hates his mother. Conflicting emotions like this about loved ones are realistic. We also meet Malcolm's siblings and the family dynamic feels real. I really enjoyed this one.
The story takes place in 1956, although I often forgot this as the time period doesn't come up that often. Malcom is a Korean war veteran. He fights off hordes of monsters, so it feels like more of an action story than a horror story.
I like that the biggest weakness of the undead monsters is they can't resist stopping to eat bystanders, which slows them down in their pursuit of our heroes. Although, if they are ancient and their appetite really is this ravenous, humans should have become extinct long ago.
I like that Malcolm both loves and hates his mother. Conflicting emotions like this about loved ones are realistic. We also meet Malcolm's siblings and the family dynamic feels real. I really enjoyed this one.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
🩸Thank you to St. Martin's Press for providing me an advanced copy of this ebook. 🩸
This is my first introduction to Christopher Golden's work, and overall I enjoyed it. (I'm a mood reader who drifts across genres frequently.)
It takes a few chapters for this story to really kick off, but once it does, it stays consistent (and tense) the rest of the way. Think a long chase scene, that's got our protagonists running for their lives on a thousand mile road trip.
We get several point-of-view characters, including our main protagonists, side characters, and even one of our newly-turned vampire antagonists. These are definitely not the same elegant, sexy vampires you'll typically find in fantasy novels, however. These vampires, and the creature "making" and controlling them are definitely the stuff or nightmares.
Obviously, there's violence and gore, even some moments of body horror to be found here. Because horror (and vampires) that's to be expected.
We also get some interpersonal tensions between the characters: sibling jealousy/rivalry, a failed marriage and an extramarital affair, and a lot of guilt, jealousy, and feelings gone unspoken and left to fester.
The ending is definitely pretty HEA, especially given this is a horror.
This is my first introduction to Christopher Golden's work, and overall I enjoyed it. (I'm a mood reader who drifts across genres frequently.)
It takes a few chapters for this story to really kick off, but once it does, it stays consistent (and tense) the rest of the way. Think a long chase scene, that's got our protagonists running for their lives on a thousand mile road trip.
We get several point-of-view characters, including our main protagonists, side characters, and even one of our newly-turned vampire antagonists. These are definitely not the same elegant, sexy vampires you'll typically find in fantasy novels, however. These vampires, and the creature "making" and controlling them are definitely the stuff or nightmares.
Obviously, there's violence and gore, even some moments of body horror to be found here. Because horror (and vampires) that's to be expected.
We also get some interpersonal tensions between the characters: sibling jealousy/rivalry, a failed marriage and an extramarital affair, and a lot of guilt, jealousy, and feelings gone unspoken and left to fester.
The ending is definitely pretty HEA, especially given this is a horror.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Malcolm stays by his dying mother’s side as she lays dying. Maggie’s last words she whispered were that she be buried where she was born within the next 48 hours, which was states away from where she was living now. While she lay dying, a mysterious man warring a raven mask stood outside her home watching for the minute she passed. Acting on his mother’s wishes, Malcolm takes his brother’s wife Violet with him to bury his mother. Malcolm and Violet were waiting until after Malcolm’s mother passed before they could officially start their affair. Before they leave, the local Coroner performs Maggie’s instructions as to what she wants done with her remains. But once Malcolm and Violet arrive at the train station arrange safe passage, Malcolm runs into his brother Eric who has been gone for over a year, gambling his savings away, but Eric is acting very strangely only focused on opening his mother casket. While Malcolm is busy fighting to keep his mother’s remains safe, Violet is fighting off the train’s other passengers who have turned violent and also trying to get to Maggie’s remains.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
"Carry Me to My Grave" by Christopher Golden is a fast-paced story that will definitely keep your attention. The story introduces us to Malcom Wise, who was a Korean war vet living in Indiana in the 50s. His mother is in the process of dying, she was rumored to be a witch by the locals in their town, their was even a chant that kids would say, "Maggie Wise will take your eyes." While Maggie is on her deathbed, she makes Malcom promise her that when she dies, he will take her body to Shediak, Maine where she was born and bury her within 48 hours of her last breath. Malcoml agrees to her request. When Maggie passed away, strange events began happening almost immediately, and forces attempted to stop them from achieving their goal. Malcolm learns more about his mother, the secrets she kept, and why she was sometimes cold to her children. The journey to Maine is taken on a train, and they must overcome many obstacles to keep the promise that was made to Maggie. Keeping the promise may save humanity.
Thank you to Netgalley for this ARC, which I received in exchange for my honest opinion.
Thank you to Netgalley for this ARC, which I received in exchange for my honest opinion.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
* Thank you NetGalley & St. Martin's Press for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. *
Carry Me to My Grave is the newest horror-thriller from the famed Christopher Golden. Malcolm has a complicated relationship with his family - his emotionally distant mother and his physically distant siblings leave much to be desired, but when he makes a promise on his mother's deathbed to bury her in her hometown, he never could've imagined what would happen next. Something wicked this way comes, and it plans on keeping Malcom from fulfilling that promise.
Admittedly, this wasn't my favorite Golden book (that would be Snowblind or the Ben Walker series), but Golden has a way of drawing you in with his characters. You start the story not sure of how you feel about anyone, and by the end, find yourself rooting for people you least expected. This was a fun read, and after the initial lull in the beginning that I've come accustomed to with Golden, I devoured the remaining 90% in one day.
Definitely recommend for fans of horror/creature thrillers/Golden.
Carry Me to My Grave is the newest horror-thriller from the famed Christopher Golden. Malcolm has a complicated relationship with his family - his emotionally distant mother and his physically distant siblings leave much to be desired, but when he makes a promise on his mother's deathbed to bury her in her hometown, he never could've imagined what would happen next. Something wicked this way comes, and it plans on keeping Malcom from fulfilling that promise.
Admittedly, this wasn't my favorite Golden book (that would be Snowblind or the Ben Walker series), but Golden has a way of drawing you in with his characters. You start the story not sure of how you feel about anyone, and by the end, find yourself rooting for people you least expected. This was a fun read, and after the initial lull in the beginning that I've come accustomed to with Golden, I devoured the remaining 90% in one day.
Definitely recommend for fans of horror/creature thrillers/Golden.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Carry Me to My Grave
Christopher Golden
This is a true horror story. The evil creatures here are called Moraks and are the source of all the vampire stories known to mankind. They have been trapped in a sort of hibernation by a curse placed on them by a witch named Maggie Wise. This curse has kept them in horrible pain.
But now after hundreds of years Maggie is dying – and with her death, the curse weakens and the Moraks are rising. The only thing that can stop them is if Maggie's body is buried at the site where the curse originated.
As her son Malcolm and company attempt to evade the evil creatures and get her body to the island for burial, he and his siblings learn more about their mother – what she was and what she required of them. But will they manage to fulfill her deathbed request and defeat these monsters?
The story is very gory, perhaps to heighten the horror. It is also a tad too long. But in the end, if you like horror and the supernatural, you will like this book.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC.
Christopher Golden
This is a true horror story. The evil creatures here are called Moraks and are the source of all the vampire stories known to mankind. They have been trapped in a sort of hibernation by a curse placed on them by a witch named Maggie Wise. This curse has kept them in horrible pain.
But now after hundreds of years Maggie is dying – and with her death, the curse weakens and the Moraks are rising. The only thing that can stop them is if Maggie's body is buried at the site where the curse originated.
As her son Malcolm and company attempt to evade the evil creatures and get her body to the island for burial, he and his siblings learn more about their mother – what she was and what she required of them. But will they manage to fulfill her deathbed request and defeat these monsters?
The story is very gory, perhaps to heighten the horror. It is also a tad too long. But in the end, if you like horror and the supernatural, you will like this book.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Maggie Wise Will Take Your Eyes!
Malcom’s mom Maggie’s life has come to an end, before she dies she tells him she must be buried in her birthplace before sunrise in 2 days, she prepped his journey for trouble, Malcom just didn’t see this much trouble!
One thing I love about Golden is his ability to find legends and monsters I had no idea about. The monsters were pretty interesting in this one. I loved how much you got of them and to get into their minds. I liked most all of the characters as well.
I will say I wish this had slowed down at times or maybe given me more. There was good stuff about the lore of the monsters, but also could have been interesting to spend a bit more time in the legends of it all instead of a bit more of a knowledge dump. This thing gets going fast and doesn’t have a lot of down time. I think it works well a lot of the time, but I do think at times it’s just too much. Maybe if it’s shorter, maybe if it just slows it would be greater.
Thanks for NetGalley for the early copy!
Malcom’s mom Maggie’s life has come to an end, before she dies she tells him she must be buried in her birthplace before sunrise in 2 days, she prepped his journey for trouble, Malcom just didn’t see this much trouble!
One thing I love about Golden is his ability to find legends and monsters I had no idea about. The monsters were pretty interesting in this one. I loved how much you got of them and to get into their minds. I liked most all of the characters as well.
I will say I wish this had slowed down at times or maybe given me more. There was good stuff about the lore of the monsters, but also could have been interesting to spend a bit more time in the legends of it all instead of a bit more of a knowledge dump. This thing gets going fast and doesn’t have a lot of down time. I think it works well a lot of the time, but I do think at times it’s just too much. Maybe if it’s shorter, maybe if it just slows it would be greater.
Thanks for NetGalley for the early copy!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Platform: NetGalley
Format: e-book
Title/Author: Carry Me to My Grave by Christopher Golden
Rating: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐.25/5
Thoughts/Minor Spoilers:
I personally thought this was an okay read, not really something I was wowed by. The writing was fine, but other than that I was actually feeling a bit underwhelmed.
For like the first half of the story it's a slow train ride, while the other half are the main characters, Malcolm (MMC), Violet (sister-in-law) & Jennie (MMC's sister) trying to evade supernatural creatures similar to vampires in order to bury the MMC's mother.
I didn't particularly like the male characters.
(There was also one male character that showed up in one chapter and was never mentioned again?)
I also felt like Jennie's death was unfair. She was the eldest daughter and was truly written like one.
I think the only thing that I liked were the creatures. Not their actions, but the way they were described and how they functioned; I liked the lore of them.
(I did like Violet's ending. I feel like she got a second chance at happiness.)
Format: e-book
Title/Author: Carry Me to My Grave by Christopher Golden
Rating: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐.25/5
Thoughts/Minor Spoilers:
I personally thought this was an okay read, not really something I was wowed by. The writing was fine, but other than that I was actually feeling a bit underwhelmed.
For like the first half of the story it's a slow train ride, while the other half are the main characters, Malcolm (MMC), Violet (sister-in-law) & Jennie (MMC's sister) trying to evade supernatural creatures similar to vampires in order to bury the MMC's mother.
I didn't particularly like the male characters.
(There was also one male character that showed up in one chapter and was never mentioned again?)
I also felt like Jennie's death was unfair. She was the eldest daughter and was truly written like one.
I think the only thing that I liked were the creatures. Not their actions, but the way they were described and how they functioned; I liked the lore of them.
(I did like Violet's ending. I feel like she got a second chance at happiness.)
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
3.5 stars. This is the first book I’ve read by this author and I had a pretty good time. The writing was easy to get into. The characters seemed to lack depth, but the plot was intriguing. Malcolm and his sister in law are tasked with taking Maggie’s body across many states to bury her in her home town. There’s evil forces working against them to prevent them from completing the task. The lore was good and the monster/vampires were pretty cool. There was a lot of gore, and horrific things happening. The pacing was great and I kept wanting to know what was going to happen next. The ending fell a little flat because it was a little too tied up at the end. Overall, I had a fun time reading this and I liked that the characters weren’t exactly likeable. I would recommend this book if you’re looking for a quick horror read. I plan to check out more work from this author in the future.
Thank you, NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for asking me to read this book early. The opinion in this review is my own.
Thank you, NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for asking me to read this book early. The opinion in this review is my own.
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