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The Darkest Lullaby
"One of the best writers in modern horror to come along in the last decade. Janz is one of my new favorites." - Brian Keene
The old house waited. For years there had been rumors that the owner, Lilith Martin, had been part of an unholy cult. People spoke of blasphemous rituals, black rites filled with blood, sex…and sacrifices. Then Lilith died and the house sat empty. Until now.
Lilith’s nephew, Chris, and his wife, Ellie, are moving in. Ellie isn’t happy about living in such a dark, foreboding place, but she wants to get pregnant and this house has a lot more room to raise a baby than their apartment. Unfortunately, she and Chris will soon learn that Lilith has other plans.
FLAME TREE PRESS is the new fiction imprint of Flame Tree Publishing. Launched in 2018 the list brings together brilliant new authors and the more established; the award winners, and exciting, original voices.
The old house waited. For years there had been rumors that the owner, Lilith Martin, had been part of an unholy cult. People spoke of blasphemous rituals, black rites filled with blood, sex…and sacrifices. Then Lilith died and the house sat empty. Until now.
Lilith’s nephew, Chris, and his wife, Ellie, are moving in. Ellie isn’t happy about living in such a dark, foreboding place, but she wants to get pregnant and this house has a lot more room to raise a baby than their apartment. Unfortunately, she and Chris will soon learn that Lilith has other plans.
FLAME TREE PRESS is the new fiction imprint of Flame Tree Publishing. Launched in 2018 the list brings together brilliant new authors and the more established; the award winners, and exciting, original voices.
304 pages, Paperback
First published April 2, 2013
43 people are currently reading
2004 people want to read
About the author
Jonathan Janz
60 books2,082 followersJonathan Janz is an author and public schoolteacher. His sci-fi horror novel VEIL is now available, and you can find his story "Lenora" in THE END OF THE WORLD AS WE KNOW IT: NEW TALES OF STEPHEN KING'S THE STAND. He’s represented for Film & TV by Adam Kolbrenner of Lit Entertainment, and his literary agent is Lane Heymont. His ghost story The Siren and the Specter was selected as a Goodreads Choice nominee for Best Horror. Additionally, his novels Children of the Dark and The Dark Game were chosen by Booklist and Library Journal as Top Ten Horror Books of the Year. Jonathan’s main interests are his wonderful wife and his three amazing children. You can sign up for his newsletter (http://jonathanjanz.us12.list-manage....), and you can follow him on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Amazon, Threads, Bluesky, TikTok, and Goodreads.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 74 reviews
July 26, 2021
This is pure in your face horror and I absolutely loved it! Janz does not shy away from guts and gore and terror and it is FANTASTIC. I feel like I’m watching an old school horror flick when I’m reading his books, especially this one, I could just picture certain scenes in my head. My only minor complaint with this story and why it gets four stars rather than five is the characters. I’m big on characters when I’m reading and I just absolutely hated everyone in this book and while I can appreciate a character you love to hate, this cast was just too much for me. The brilliant story more than makes up for that though, it truly is bloody amazing. There were so many twists I didn’t see coming, it was chock full of moments to make my spine tingle and the ending was just INSANE and left me in total awe.
Want to read
December 5, 2017This hardcover is numbered 14 of 60 copies produced and is signed by Jonathan Janz.
January 3, 2018
THE DARKEST LULLABY, by Jonathan Janz, is one of his "earlier" novels that I just now got around to reading. This is not so much a "haunted house" tale as it is a "haunted people" one.
Chris and Ellie Crane are in great financial difficulty when Chris suddenly inherits his Aunt's old home among acres of private land. Of course, being a horror novel, you can just imagine all that could go wrong here.
". . . the forest was a sentient thing . . . This place was alive . . . "
I felt that Janz was especially strong in regards to the atmosphere in this story. One moment he has us seeing a beautiful expanse of forest, with privacy and an idyllic, setting. The next, every living thing--seen or unseen--is an omen of the most sinister, malevolent forces you can imagine. Instead of a safe harbor, the area becomes a prision.
". . . She wasn't to leave."
I won't say anything further about the plot, other than I found it quite original in certain aspects, and there were many things that I simply would never have seen coming. Even in his earlier books, Janz shows a mastery of language, smooth writing style, and an imagination that is incredible to behold.
If you think you've read every "type" of horror novel out there, think again. Jonathan Janz has brought something unique to the genre, and he has many more stories out there waiting to be discovered.
Highly recommended!
Chris and Ellie Crane are in great financial difficulty when Chris suddenly inherits his Aunt's old home among acres of private land. Of course, being a horror novel, you can just imagine all that could go wrong here.
". . . the forest was a sentient thing . . . This place was alive . . . "
I felt that Janz was especially strong in regards to the atmosphere in this story. One moment he has us seeing a beautiful expanse of forest, with privacy and an idyllic, setting. The next, every living thing--seen or unseen--is an omen of the most sinister, malevolent forces you can imagine. Instead of a safe harbor, the area becomes a prision.
". . . She wasn't to leave."
I won't say anything further about the plot, other than I found it quite original in certain aspects, and there were many things that I simply would never have seen coming. Even in his earlier books, Janz shows a mastery of language, smooth writing style, and an imagination that is incredible to behold.
If you think you've read every "type" of horror novel out there, think again. Jonathan Janz has brought something unique to the genre, and he has many more stories out there waiting to be discovered.
Highly recommended!
May 7, 2013
*semi-Spoilers*
It started out great then descended to good.
A wife and husband inherit a house.
The husband goes crazy without much account.
He does some wacky things we are supposed to accept,
but his wicked dead aunt is highly adept.
She's pulling the strings and some other things.
The dog, Petey, is not who he seems.
Wife becomes pregnant
and a story gets told
of why babies are needed,
brought into the fold.
Up pops the wife's sister,
which is very coincidental.
She tells a little story
that's kind of mental.
There's some blood exchanged,
more of the sucking kind.
By the end of the story,
you're like WTF, rewind.
The idea behind this read was pretty fantastic. For some reason as soon as the husband lost control, so did the story. It was so unbecoming of him from what we were shown. It should have been more gradual or something. It was like he just woke up one day and said "frick it." The wife did a good job, but was not able to fully maintain the story on her own: reading books and watching videos and drugging herself to sleep. I ended up not liking a lot of the characters. Still, something was there, I just can't pinpoint it~ A good read that could have been better.
It started out great then descended to good.
A wife and husband inherit a house.
The husband goes crazy without much account.
He does some wacky things we are supposed to accept,
but his wicked dead aunt is highly adept.
She's pulling the strings and some other things.
The dog, Petey, is not who he seems.
Wife becomes pregnant
and a story gets told
of why babies are needed,
brought into the fold.
Up pops the wife's sister,
which is very coincidental.
She tells a little story
that's kind of mental.
There's some blood exchanged,
more of the sucking kind.
By the end of the story,
you're like WTF, rewind.
The idea behind this read was pretty fantastic. For some reason as soon as the husband lost control, so did the story. It was so unbecoming of him from what we were shown. It should have been more gradual or something. It was like he just woke up one day and said "frick it." The wife did a good job, but was not able to fully maintain the story on her own: reading books and watching videos and drugging herself to sleep. I ended up not liking a lot of the characters. Still, something was there, I just can't pinpoint it~ A good read that could have been better.
May 4, 2023
2 stars--it was OK. Lots of gore and sex, not much character development. Enjoyable in a popcorn horror way.
September 14, 2022
Creepy, creepy, creepy! Just my kind of story. I did find that Mr. Janz, while writing a goosebump producing story seems to more than once to set up scenario's that seem to be so impossible to escape that any way the characters find to solve a problem is equally impossible to believe. I didn't find that that took any enjoyment away from the story...just made me have to reassess my way of thinking. If you are a reader that just reads and doesn't try too hard to solve things...that won't bother, you at all. I had read that the author grew up between a very dark woods and a graveyard...so he certainly uses his past experiences when creating these stories that suck you in and keeps you wanting and coming back for more. This is the third book by Joanathan Janz that I have read. One moment he has you seeing a beautiful expanse of forest, and a future for this young couple, and the next...every living thing that is seen or unseen becomes an awaking of the most sinister and malevolent forces you can imagine. In the turn of a page the safe harbor has becomes a prison. You'll love the two main characters that now own the house that was inherited from Chris's aunt, but it isn't very far into the story that you will discover that the house has other plans...it may now "own" them.
February 20, 2013
Okay....just wrote a big thing here, and accidentally deleted it. Here goes again......
Prose is efficient and well-crafted. My issues with this are the same issues I have with lots of horror fiction....
- lots of rationalizations of completely irrational things. Everything is very obvious, and they are idiots for staying and letting everything happen to them
- how many novels do we need about teachers who leave their teaching jobs to pursue writing full-time, which just leaves them more time to get up to evil shenanigans?
- basically, all husbands are self-absorbed, sex-obsessed jerks with no willpower whatsoever. Sexual temptation is a powerful literary tool, and there are some insecurities between husband and wife that could've been built up, but Chris makes only token efforts at resisting because really, I think he wants to get laid by evil wood nymphs.
- very contrived plot points. In other words, I want this scene to happen, so I'll twist the entire plot to make sure this scene happens.
- mythology is needless convoluted. There's a fine line between making up something new and blending myths, and just patching a bunch of disparate things together.
Don't get me wrong....the prose is easy to read, efficient, and well-written, and fans of this kind of horror will eat it up. But the story just seems to fall apart about 2/3s of the way through.
Prose is efficient and well-crafted. My issues with this are the same issues I have with lots of horror fiction....
- lots of rationalizations of completely irrational things. Everything is very obvious, and they are idiots for staying and letting everything happen to them
- how many novels do we need about teachers who leave their teaching jobs to pursue writing full-time, which just leaves them more time to get up to evil shenanigans?
- basically, all husbands are self-absorbed, sex-obsessed jerks with no willpower whatsoever. Sexual temptation is a powerful literary tool, and there are some insecurities between husband and wife that could've been built up, but Chris makes only token efforts at resisting because really, I think he wants to get laid by evil wood nymphs.
- very contrived plot points. In other words, I want this scene to happen, so I'll twist the entire plot to make sure this scene happens.
- mythology is needless convoluted. There's a fine line between making up something new and blending myths, and just patching a bunch of disparate things together.
Don't get me wrong....the prose is easy to read, efficient, and well-written, and fans of this kind of horror will eat it up. But the story just seems to fall apart about 2/3s of the way through.
March 4, 2015
Chris inherits a remote piece of property from his Aunt Lilith. Chris's wife Ellie is not very happy about relocating to a place that is so isolated from the real word. Ellie wants to get pregnant and raise a family in their new home. Rumors by the locals, say that Lilith belong to an occult group. It is said that they performed rituals and sacrifices in the wood. Chris and Ellie will find out that they have one hell of a roller coaster ride in store from them. Janz is a good writer and an excellent storyteller. This is my first book that I have read by Jonathan Janz. I plan to checkout more of his works. I would highly recommend this book
April 16, 2020
Review to follow...
March 26, 2016
I am desperately late coming to this one but, late or not, I had to post a review. Jonathan Janz is held in high regard by writers and readers alike. There is one simple reason for this. He writes great stories. The Darkest Lullaby is gripping, scary, sad, suspenseful and ultimately rewarding in the best tradition of twisted endings. I loved the dark atmosphere, the manifestations written with cinematic clarity. In fact, this book has the potential to be a great film. Ellie had her faults and that only served to make her more real. The development of Chris's character and behaviour worked so well. Even the minor characters were vividly portrayed. This was a story I didn't want to put down. The fact that I read most of it on a dark, stormy day with the wind howling and rain battering the windows seemed appropriate too. Loved it. I'm off to read Janz's latest now - Children of the Dark. I hear it's excellent.
October 18, 2019
I’m always thrilled to read another book by Jonathan Janz and he got me once again with The Darkest Lullaby.
Talk about scary. If it’s not one thing driving this family to the brink, it’s another. The story gets creepier, things come out of the dark to haunt and terrorize, and there’s no letting down your guard. I almost did with one character. Learned my lesson. LOL
If you like crazy, very unpredictable and downright creepy stories and an author who doesn’t flinch at killing off their characters, this is just the book for you.
I received a complimentary copy. My review is voluntarily given.
Talk about scary. If it’s not one thing driving this family to the brink, it’s another. The story gets creepier, things come out of the dark to haunt and terrorize, and there’s no letting down your guard. I almost did with one character. Learned my lesson. LOL
If you like crazy, very unpredictable and downright creepy stories and an author who doesn’t flinch at killing off their characters, this is just the book for you.
I received a complimentary copy. My review is voluntarily given.
May 18, 2015
Chris and Ellie move into his Aunt Lilith's old house and land which is haunted. With the house and land used to be used by a demonic cult, can they survive with a baby on the way or will they go insane? Read on and find out for yourself.
This was a pretty good spine-tingling horror story. Definitely check this book out at your local library and wherever books are sold.
This was a pretty good spine-tingling horror story. Definitely check this book out at your local library and wherever books are sold.
January 27, 2021
Imagine crossing Thomas Tryon's "Harvest Home", cross that with "Rosemary's Baby", meets "Burnt Offerings", "Salem's Lot" and mix in "The Sentinel" by Jeffery Konvitz and you get Jonathan Janz' "The Darkest Lullaby"!! Now, If all vampire books were as GREAT as this one was, this would be my favorite Horror trope!!
Check out my video review of this book here on my Youtube Channel; AreYouIntoHorror here:
https://youtu.be/TAKvTZnLLY4
First off, the above copy is NOT the one i read/listened to; but i LOVED this cover so much better than the one on the audio book! Now this was Janz's first book but the 2nd of his works to be published.....and oh my god; get ready for a HORRIFYING Horror debut unlike any other you will read!! This was published in 2013, but it reads like a horror classic from the 70's or 80's. Now if you have followed me for awhile, you will know that I do not like just sex, upon sex and sex, then taking that sex and throwing in blood and guts just for the disgust value! Janz writes horror and sex together SO well, that it is almost erotic......yes, true, if this can make sense?. LOL.
Ellie and Chris Crane live in Southern California, and Chris is a teacher, soon they are upended and move away, far away. They have been trying to start a family for 3 years with no luck as Ellie has been diagnosed having Endomytriosis. Now, I know what you are thinking: childless young couple move to country....and magically they are pregnant! Get that trope and thought and wipe it a little cleaner....but yes they do get pregnant.
So, after the death of Chris's Aunt Lillith, they inherit a huge and dilapidated house in the middle of the Indiana woods on a couple 1000 acres, near a small river/stream with a creepy assed bridge nearbye it. It has always been said the house and the land are both cursed due to being used in the past by the leader of a Demonic Devil worshipping 🩸👹🧛♀️ cult of Vampires! Wow, together in one person you ask? Yes....but these are not your Dark Shadows, Buffy The Vampire Slayer types of vapiric cultists; these are HARDCORE 'oh my god the devil is really here.....in my room!!!!' type of vampiric cultists!! Ellie and Chris have a wonderful sex life, and are very romantic when it comes to their sex lives, but when Chris meets a large black dog, seeimingly a stray in the woods one night while on a walk, everything you thought you have figured out......changes, and the horror and suspense never lets up! I do not understand why people are claiming this is a slow burn of a book, I cannot for the life of me make it thru that type of book, but Janz does not throw that at you here. What is thrown at you is the most vile, creepy, mess with your sleep scenes of horror scares that you are not soon to forget. When they first arrive, (now you have to know that Ellie is very cost effective and almost stingy when it comes to their money...) an accident happens, and one of the first scenes of creepy shock comes when Ellie awakes to some 'thing' slurping on her wounds! And the reason I brought up 'The Sentinel' was; if you have ever seen the movie or read the book, you will remember the 'razor blades' scenes in the Brownstone on one of Alison's Nightmare Nights thru her home, but this scene does not end that fast.....it comes back at you more than once, and it is disturbing as fuck!
So, is the house haunted? Is the land cursed? was there a devil worshipping cult leader who was attached to Aunt Lillith? So much goes on in this book, I do not want to even get into it.....
I listened to the Scribd Audiobook over the last 2 days.....and the narration was SO INTENSELY read by Kera O'Bryon, that I will NEVER look at a VHS tape or think of my dead Aunties EVER the same way again!!! Just pick it up, check out out or however you have to get it; but READ it!
Come on Janz, where is the Sequel?
Check out my video review of this book here on my Youtube Channel; AreYouIntoHorror here:
https://youtu.be/TAKvTZnLLY4
First off, the above copy is NOT the one i read/listened to; but i LOVED this cover so much better than the one on the audio book! Now this was Janz's first book but the 2nd of his works to be published.....and oh my god; get ready for a HORRIFYING Horror debut unlike any other you will read!! This was published in 2013, but it reads like a horror classic from the 70's or 80's. Now if you have followed me for awhile, you will know that I do not like just sex, upon sex and sex, then taking that sex and throwing in blood and guts just for the disgust value! Janz writes horror and sex together SO well, that it is almost erotic......yes, true, if this can make sense?. LOL.
Ellie and Chris Crane live in Southern California, and Chris is a teacher, soon they are upended and move away, far away. They have been trying to start a family for 3 years with no luck as Ellie has been diagnosed having Endomytriosis. Now, I know what you are thinking: childless young couple move to country....and magically they are pregnant! Get that trope and thought and wipe it a little cleaner....but yes they do get pregnant.
So, after the death of Chris's Aunt Lillith, they inherit a huge and dilapidated house in the middle of the Indiana woods on a couple 1000 acres, near a small river/stream with a creepy assed bridge nearbye it. It has always been said the house and the land are both cursed due to being used in the past by the leader of a Demonic Devil worshipping 🩸👹🧛♀️ cult of Vampires! Wow, together in one person you ask? Yes....but these are not your Dark Shadows, Buffy The Vampire Slayer types of vapiric cultists; these are HARDCORE 'oh my god the devil is really here.....in my room!!!!' type of vampiric cultists!! Ellie and Chris have a wonderful sex life, and are very romantic when it comes to their sex lives, but when Chris meets a large black dog, seeimingly a stray in the woods one night while on a walk, everything you thought you have figured out......changes, and the horror and suspense never lets up! I do not understand why people are claiming this is a slow burn of a book, I cannot for the life of me make it thru that type of book, but Janz does not throw that at you here. What is thrown at you is the most vile, creepy, mess with your sleep scenes of horror scares that you are not soon to forget. When they first arrive, (now you have to know that Ellie is very cost effective and almost stingy when it comes to their money...) an accident happens, and one of the first scenes of creepy shock comes when Ellie awakes to some 'thing' slurping on her wounds! And the reason I brought up 'The Sentinel' was; if you have ever seen the movie or read the book, you will remember the 'razor blades' scenes in the Brownstone on one of Alison's Nightmare Nights thru her home, but this scene does not end that fast.....it comes back at you more than once, and it is disturbing as fuck!
So, is the house haunted? Is the land cursed? was there a devil worshipping cult leader who was attached to Aunt Lillith? So much goes on in this book, I do not want to even get into it.....
I listened to the Scribd Audiobook over the last 2 days.....and the narration was SO INTENSELY read by Kera O'Bryon, that I will NEVER look at a VHS tape or think of my dead Aunties EVER the same way again!!! Just pick it up, check out out or however you have to get it; but READ it!
Come on Janz, where is the Sequel?
August 13, 2019
Hi and welcome to my stop on the blog tour for The Darkest Lullaby! Many thanks to Anne Cater for the invitation and to Flame Tree Press for the eARC through NetGalley. And kudos to both for seducing me into accepting the invite when I had sworn I would most certainly not take on any more tours this month 😉 What can I say, I’m a sucker for Flame Tree Press, the publisher that’s been scratching all my horror itches since 2018, the one that reminded me of how much fun horror can be when it’s done right, and how much I actually love speculative fiction in all its shapes and sizes.
Alrightie, enough waffling, we’re here to talk about one particular Flame Tree baby today: The Darkest Lullaby by Jonathan Janz, in case you hadn’t noticed. Speaking of babies, this one is not a cutesy munchkin you want to fawn over and cuddle until it’s blue in the face, it’s more Rosemary’s baby that wants to strangle you until you’re blue in the face…
Chris grew up in Indiana with his aunt Lilith. He has fond memories of her. She might have been a bit peculiar at times, but still, she was a kindly lady and she treated him well. Lilith has passed away and left everything to her nephew and Chris has decided to leave sunny Malibu behind and return to Indiana. His wife Ellie is not so sure, and she’s even less sure once she sees the somewhat dilapidated mansion they’re supposed to live in from now on. In fact, she’s getting more sure by the minute that she wants to get the hell away from there and ASAP too. Sure there’s a lot of privacy, no neighbours for miles and miles, and a lot of peace and quiet and space, the ideal location to finally get pregnant and raise their child, but the place just makes her antsy and paranoid. Or is she? Is she seeing things that aren’t there, are the remoteness and spookiness and general gloom of the place getting to her, or is there something there, a certain malevolence?
Before long, things are escalating and Ellie finds proof that dear aunt Lilith was more than a little creepy (like way way WAY more). Chris however, is not open to any criticism. Actually, Chris is not open to anything Ellie says or does. He seems to have undergone a personality transplant and this new Chris? Well Ellie isn’t sure she even likes him anymore, and I, as the reader who knew what Chris had been up to, I actively loathed him. I had to keep reminding myself it wasn’t his fault, he had fallen under the spell of the naked young woman in the woods (anyone want to hazard a guess who she turns out to be???). Still, I kept shaking my e-reader, hoping to shake some sense into him.
Did I see you cock an eyebrow at the nakedness of the woman in the woods? Yes, well, there is quite a lot of nudity, and the malevolence in The Darkest Lullaby is fed by lust and sex, more than fear, violence and blood (although there’s lots of that too). This is the third Janz I’ve read so far, after The Siren and the Spectre and House of Skin. While lust and nudity and sex were used there too, I feel that Janz has gone an extra mile or two with The Darkest Lullaby! The fact that he explores demonism and vampirism made it okay for me that The Darkest Lullaby ventures a tiny bit towards eroticism, since demons and especially vampires have always been portrayed as lustful creatures in horror and that made the more erotic scenes make sense, and they also aptly show the demise of Chris’s values, and with them, his sanity.
The Darkest Lullaby comes together cleverly and satisfyingly. An enjoyable read, not for the faint of heart on account of some truly excellent horror scenes, and best not read in the dark, even if you do consider yourself a very tough cookie! Recommended to horror fans who don’t mind a bit of nudity and sexual shenanigans.
Alrightie, enough waffling, we’re here to talk about one particular Flame Tree baby today: The Darkest Lullaby by Jonathan Janz, in case you hadn’t noticed. Speaking of babies, this one is not a cutesy munchkin you want to fawn over and cuddle until it’s blue in the face, it’s more Rosemary’s baby that wants to strangle you until you’re blue in the face…
Chris grew up in Indiana with his aunt Lilith. He has fond memories of her. She might have been a bit peculiar at times, but still, she was a kindly lady and she treated him well. Lilith has passed away and left everything to her nephew and Chris has decided to leave sunny Malibu behind and return to Indiana. His wife Ellie is not so sure, and she’s even less sure once she sees the somewhat dilapidated mansion they’re supposed to live in from now on. In fact, she’s getting more sure by the minute that she wants to get the hell away from there and ASAP too. Sure there’s a lot of privacy, no neighbours for miles and miles, and a lot of peace and quiet and space, the ideal location to finally get pregnant and raise their child, but the place just makes her antsy and paranoid. Or is she? Is she seeing things that aren’t there, are the remoteness and spookiness and general gloom of the place getting to her, or is there something there, a certain malevolence?
Before long, things are escalating and Ellie finds proof that dear aunt Lilith was more than a little creepy (like way way WAY more). Chris however, is not open to any criticism. Actually, Chris is not open to anything Ellie says or does. He seems to have undergone a personality transplant and this new Chris? Well Ellie isn’t sure she even likes him anymore, and I, as the reader who knew what Chris had been up to, I actively loathed him. I had to keep reminding myself it wasn’t his fault, he had fallen under the spell of the naked young woman in the woods (anyone want to hazard a guess who she turns out to be???). Still, I kept shaking my e-reader, hoping to shake some sense into him.
Did I see you cock an eyebrow at the nakedness of the woman in the woods? Yes, well, there is quite a lot of nudity, and the malevolence in The Darkest Lullaby is fed by lust and sex, more than fear, violence and blood (although there’s lots of that too). This is the third Janz I’ve read so far, after The Siren and the Spectre and House of Skin. While lust and nudity and sex were used there too, I feel that Janz has gone an extra mile or two with The Darkest Lullaby! The fact that he explores demonism and vampirism made it okay for me that The Darkest Lullaby ventures a tiny bit towards eroticism, since demons and especially vampires have always been portrayed as lustful creatures in horror and that made the more erotic scenes make sense, and they also aptly show the demise of Chris’s values, and with them, his sanity.
The Darkest Lullaby comes together cleverly and satisfyingly. An enjoyable read, not for the faint of heart on account of some truly excellent horror scenes, and best not read in the dark, even if you do consider yourself a very tough cookie! Recommended to horror fans who don’t mind a bit of nudity and sexual shenanigans.
August 18, 2019
I’ve come to the conclusion that you are always in for a treat with a Jonathan Janz book, I invariably look forward to getting stuck into one of his Novels, The Darkest Lullaby was no exception to the rule.
The setting is perfect for a Demonic Cult tale, Chris and Ellie have inherited his late Aunt Lilith’s estate, the house is old and is surrounded by forestland. As always Janz’s imagery was excellent, from the run-down house, the stream, bridge and clearings to the creepy woods that envelope Chris and Ellie. I felt like I was there and know what the house and land look like in my mind even after finishing the book.
Just to point out there was a brilliant paragraph at the end of one of the ‘happier’ earlier chapters where you think yep, these two are cute and it might all be ok, then JJ swoops in and dashes all of that in an instant. I love that little Kingism Mr Janz!
‘’She’d look back on that night and remember the feel of her Husband’s arms around her, the sound of his voice in the gloom. Their lovemaking. She would remember these things and hold them close to her like talismans against the onslaught of darkness. But they would prove useless. In the end, everything did’’
I liked the way that although this was a ‘haunted house’ type story you really felt that the house and woods themselves were evil, not just land that was used by a demonic cult and still haunted by an evil presence. Looking at some of my notes I wrote ‘the Shining and Amityville Horror feels’ meaning the property itself was slowly sending the protagonist (Chris) into a descent of madness/evil and slowly turning him into a stranger. A few pages later Janz made a lovely nod to the shining;
‘’Ellie’s own husband who was turning into Jack Nicholson in The Shining for chrissakes. It wouldn’t surprise her if she picked up a page from his manuscript and read ‘All work and no play makes Chris a dull boy’’
Chris and Ellie were both well rounded characters, there was a fair amount of back story for depth of character. If only they would have spoken to each other! Neither one trusted the other, I wanted to shake some sense into both of them on several occasions! Saying that they were both well written, especially Ellie, the sheer helplessness and fear portrayed by her character was palpable.
Lilith, the antagonist was a creepy figure indeed, she filled me with a real sense of dread, that scene when Ellie is sorting through her belongings and video tapes *Shudder*
I would have loved some more back story on Lilith and the house, she was a huge part of the story but I felt I didn’t really know much about her.
The darkest Lullaby was full of graphic unsettling scenes which will creep under your skin and stay with you. Did I mention the sex? There’s lots of it, but it’s a story of malevolent spirits, sacrifice, vampirism and cults after all, there is going to be sex right?! Approach with caution if you blush easily.
As I said before, you are onto a winner with a Jonathan Janz book if you are a fan of Horror, I suggest you pick a copy up!
As always you can check out my reviews on my blog - Darkreads.blog
The setting is perfect for a Demonic Cult tale, Chris and Ellie have inherited his late Aunt Lilith’s estate, the house is old and is surrounded by forestland. As always Janz’s imagery was excellent, from the run-down house, the stream, bridge and clearings to the creepy woods that envelope Chris and Ellie. I felt like I was there and know what the house and land look like in my mind even after finishing the book.
Just to point out there was a brilliant paragraph at the end of one of the ‘happier’ earlier chapters where you think yep, these two are cute and it might all be ok, then JJ swoops in and dashes all of that in an instant. I love that little Kingism Mr Janz!
‘’She’d look back on that night and remember the feel of her Husband’s arms around her, the sound of his voice in the gloom. Their lovemaking. She would remember these things and hold them close to her like talismans against the onslaught of darkness. But they would prove useless. In the end, everything did’’
I liked the way that although this was a ‘haunted house’ type story you really felt that the house and woods themselves were evil, not just land that was used by a demonic cult and still haunted by an evil presence. Looking at some of my notes I wrote ‘the Shining and Amityville Horror feels’ meaning the property itself was slowly sending the protagonist (Chris) into a descent of madness/evil and slowly turning him into a stranger. A few pages later Janz made a lovely nod to the shining;
‘’Ellie’s own husband who was turning into Jack Nicholson in The Shining for chrissakes. It wouldn’t surprise her if she picked up a page from his manuscript and read ‘All work and no play makes Chris a dull boy’’
Chris and Ellie were both well rounded characters, there was a fair amount of back story for depth of character. If only they would have spoken to each other! Neither one trusted the other, I wanted to shake some sense into both of them on several occasions! Saying that they were both well written, especially Ellie, the sheer helplessness and fear portrayed by her character was palpable.
Lilith, the antagonist was a creepy figure indeed, she filled me with a real sense of dread, that scene when Ellie is sorting through her belongings and video tapes *Shudder*
I would have loved some more back story on Lilith and the house, she was a huge part of the story but I felt I didn’t really know much about her.
The darkest Lullaby was full of graphic unsettling scenes which will creep under your skin and stay with you. Did I mention the sex? There’s lots of it, but it’s a story of malevolent spirits, sacrifice, vampirism and cults after all, there is going to be sex right?! Approach with caution if you blush easily.
As I said before, you are onto a winner with a Jonathan Janz book if you are a fan of Horror, I suggest you pick a copy up!
As always you can check out my reviews on my blog - Darkreads.blog
December 4, 2013
Jonathan Janz indeed has a very vivid imagination. This was a chilling novel with it's share of graphic and utterly terrifying scenes. Reading over the Halloween holiday only added to scare factor. If you like horror and suspense with an adult genre, then by all means pick up a copy, this ones for you. The great story line will hook you in from the beginning and keep you wanting more.
May 29, 2020
This book was so good I could barely stop reading it! Super creepy and surprising story that kept me guessing throughout. One of my favorite authors and this one is highly recommended by me ;)
Read
August 9, 2019Having read a couple of Jonathan Janz books, I knew I was in for a proper scare. The book did not disappoint with cults, demonic realms, and vampirism and immortality.
Chris had inherited a remote house and land around it from Aunt Lillith. Wide Ellie was nor keen on moving. (The house was painted in black with black walls. I wouldn't want to move too.) Ellie became pregnant and soon got to know what really had happened to Lillith in the clearing near the house.
A good roller coaster scary ride, this book had all the expected bells and whistles that I would expect from a Janz book. His introduction to evil was insidious, the horror slowly enveloping the story with its darkness. I could literally feel the skies growing darker, the blood creeping into the crevices as the story unfurled.
The pace was swift, malevolence of the spirits mounting higher with each part of the story. My niggles too moved in; the story didn't appear cohesive, characters transformed to evil abruptly. Too many scary scenes bogged the flow down.
Overall, a fun story during my evening tea. A twilight read.
Chris had inherited a remote house and land around it from Aunt Lillith. Wide Ellie was nor keen on moving. (The house was painted in black with black walls. I wouldn't want to move too.) Ellie became pregnant and soon got to know what really had happened to Lillith in the clearing near the house.
A good roller coaster scary ride, this book had all the expected bells and whistles that I would expect from a Janz book. His introduction to evil was insidious, the horror slowly enveloping the story with its darkness. I could literally feel the skies growing darker, the blood creeping into the crevices as the story unfurled.
The pace was swift, malevolence of the spirits mounting higher with each part of the story. My niggles too moved in; the story didn't appear cohesive, characters transformed to evil abruptly. Too many scary scenes bogged the flow down.
Overall, a fun story during my evening tea. A twilight read.
November 22, 2023
We all know I love a good haunting/haunted house story, but add in some occulty(issa word) cults, kinda scary steamy scenes and omg you guys I had no idea this had VAMPIRES in, the gasp I gusped WHY DINT YALL TELL ME? 😱 the writing was incredibly witty, on numerous occasions I was laughing out loud, I think it's hard to pair humour with horror and have it mesh well, often one aspect is stronger than the other but this is also creepy as hell and honestly, terrifying and the spine tingling gets progressively worse as the story unfolds, Janz doesn't shy away from the guts and gore, this is my first book by Janz and I am MAD as hell about it, why didn't I read this sooner!? I'll be reading all his work right away, new super stalker wilkes fan here 🤓 some scenes were so vivid and cinematic I could definitely see this as a movie, this was everything I want from a horror story and I had so much fun reading it, I'd recommend this if you enjoy Hendrix and horror that has fantastical elements and leans more into the supernatural, have you read this? What book of his should I read next? IT DOESN'T MATTER I'M GONNA READ THEM ALL
December 25, 2020
Originally published in 2013, The Darkest Lullaby is one of Jonathan Janz's earliest titles, preceded only by The Sorrows and House of Skin, and shows a number of familiar themes and elements the author would return to over the course of his future works.
As is common in Janz's books, family is one of the most prominent elements helping to fuel the horror. Chris Crane and wife, Ellie, have inherited a lush estate in Indiana, prompting them to uproot their lives in California and relocate with the promise of a fresh start for their lives. Although Aunt Lilith has left them acres and acres of land, the house itself is in disrepair and the young couple have little money to spare for this fixer-upper opportunity. To make matters worse, there's all kinds of rumors surrounding Chris's dearly departed aunt involving cults, the belief in demonic evolution, and a number of warnings that the land itself is haunted.
Needless to say, life in Indiana is a far cry from the sun, warmth, and picturesque beaches Chris and Ellie are accustomed to!
The Darkest Lullaby is a slow burn horror book, but one that I found constantly engaging, even if some of the overarching elements are readily familiar. For one, we have the inherited estate and lurking evils, which comes apiece of House of Skin. Although that book was Janz's first novel it was his second published work, and The Darkest Lullaby treads similar ground. Like Paul Carver, Chris is an aspiring author, and both men are clearly modeled after Janz himself with their good looks, muscular bodies, and easy going nature.
Haunted and cursed estates are, of course, no stranger to Janz and he's built quite an impressive bibliography around this idea, one he's returned to time and time again since his debut with The Sorrows, including 2019's The Dark Game. We know Janz is a fan of the gothic, and his appreciation for that brand of horror spills forth quite prominently over the course of his body of work. While The Darkest Lullaby isn't as straightforward a gothic horror novel as, say, The Siren and the Specter, it does have a fair amount of overlap with that sub-genre, particularly as Ellie begins to find herself trapped on this land and takes on a stronger role in the book's latter half.
It's curious, too, the ways in which Janz returns to the concept of an inherited estate. I wonder if there's a more quintessentially American fantasy than being bequeathed lush property and the promise of wealth from a dead relative, and it's certainly one Janz gave plenty of attention to in these early novels. Beneath that unexpected luck and the promise of riches, though, are the guarantees of evil, which is certainly a pointed, and welcome, bit of commentary. Janz spares little expense as he deeply mines the corruptive nature of power and the ways in which it poisons interpersonal relationships, the land we live on, and, most prominently, the self. The Darkest Lullaby veers into a few intriguing moments of ecological horror as we see just how tainted and twisted the land has become under the will of old, rich, evil Aunt Lilith.
While The Darkest Lullaby plumbs a number of familiar elements in Janz's growing body of work, it feels neither repetitive nor unwelcome. Quite the contrary, in my opinion. There's a certain comfort in that familiarity, and the ways Janz eases you into the story feels like slipping on a pair of comfy but well-worn slippers. For as dark and bleak as it is, The Darkest Lullaby, oddly enough, is a bit of comfort read, at least for this Janz fan. Story-wise, it meets those certain needs and expectations, but the author still manages to deliver a few welcome shocks and jolts. At one point, I even found myself delighted at the shift in this particular story's trajectory, and I'm glad Janz tread there fearlessly, even as he knowingly delivers a nod to a rather famous and quintessential Stephen King story. Janz is good about proudly wearing his influences on his sleeve, but make no mistake, he's an author fully in command of his own works. He knows what he's doing, knows where his strengths lie, and because of it he consistently delivers.
As is common in Janz's books, family is one of the most prominent elements helping to fuel the horror. Chris Crane and wife, Ellie, have inherited a lush estate in Indiana, prompting them to uproot their lives in California and relocate with the promise of a fresh start for their lives. Although Aunt Lilith has left them acres and acres of land, the house itself is in disrepair and the young couple have little money to spare for this fixer-upper opportunity. To make matters worse, there's all kinds of rumors surrounding Chris's dearly departed aunt involving cults, the belief in demonic evolution, and a number of warnings that the land itself is haunted.
Needless to say, life in Indiana is a far cry from the sun, warmth, and picturesque beaches Chris and Ellie are accustomed to!
The Darkest Lullaby is a slow burn horror book, but one that I found constantly engaging, even if some of the overarching elements are readily familiar. For one, we have the inherited estate and lurking evils, which comes apiece of House of Skin. Although that book was Janz's first novel it was his second published work, and The Darkest Lullaby treads similar ground. Like Paul Carver, Chris is an aspiring author, and both men are clearly modeled after Janz himself with their good looks, muscular bodies, and easy going nature.
Haunted and cursed estates are, of course, no stranger to Janz and he's built quite an impressive bibliography around this idea, one he's returned to time and time again since his debut with The Sorrows, including 2019's The Dark Game. We know Janz is a fan of the gothic, and his appreciation for that brand of horror spills forth quite prominently over the course of his body of work. While The Darkest Lullaby isn't as straightforward a gothic horror novel as, say, The Siren and the Specter, it does have a fair amount of overlap with that sub-genre, particularly as Ellie begins to find herself trapped on this land and takes on a stronger role in the book's latter half.
It's curious, too, the ways in which Janz returns to the concept of an inherited estate. I wonder if there's a more quintessentially American fantasy than being bequeathed lush property and the promise of wealth from a dead relative, and it's certainly one Janz gave plenty of attention to in these early novels. Beneath that unexpected luck and the promise of riches, though, are the guarantees of evil, which is certainly a pointed, and welcome, bit of commentary. Janz spares little expense as he deeply mines the corruptive nature of power and the ways in which it poisons interpersonal relationships, the land we live on, and, most prominently, the self. The Darkest Lullaby veers into a few intriguing moments of ecological horror as we see just how tainted and twisted the land has become under the will of old, rich, evil Aunt Lilith.
While The Darkest Lullaby plumbs a number of familiar elements in Janz's growing body of work, it feels neither repetitive nor unwelcome. Quite the contrary, in my opinion. There's a certain comfort in that familiarity, and the ways Janz eases you into the story feels like slipping on a pair of comfy but well-worn slippers. For as dark and bleak as it is, The Darkest Lullaby, oddly enough, is a bit of comfort read, at least for this Janz fan. Story-wise, it meets those certain needs and expectations, but the author still manages to deliver a few welcome shocks and jolts. At one point, I even found myself delighted at the shift in this particular story's trajectory, and I'm glad Janz tread there fearlessly, even as he knowingly delivers a nod to a rather famous and quintessential Stephen King story. Janz is good about proudly wearing his influences on his sleeve, but make no mistake, he's an author fully in command of his own works. He knows what he's doing, knows where his strengths lie, and because of it he consistently delivers.
July 18, 2020
The blood of the innocent is the ultimate sacrifice
Chris and Ellie Crane are having money difficulties, living in an apartment and dreaming of owning their own house. Chris inherits an old house from his aunt Lilith, and, reluctantly, they both move in when they run out of options and aren't able to sell it. The house has a reputation around the town, with rumours of rituals, sacrifices and cults. As Chris starts to spiral into madness and Ellie starts seeing and hearing things, it becomes apparent to Ellie that the previous occupants never really left..
I really enjoyed this book. It's the 2nd Janz novel I've read and I believe it's one of his earlier ones. I didn't want to give away too much in my synopsis, but you feel like you know the story after reading it I can promise you're wrong - this had a twist and a plotline that I was not expecting at all from the first few acts!
If you're expecting a traditional haunted house story, this is not it - but it is really good. I'm surprised there a very limited amount of reviews and ratings on this book on GR!
There wasn't anything in it that I didn't really like. The atmosphere was well built and the book made me want to keep on reading
Chris and Ellie Crane are having money difficulties, living in an apartment and dreaming of owning their own house. Chris inherits an old house from his aunt Lilith, and, reluctantly, they both move in when they run out of options and aren't able to sell it. The house has a reputation around the town, with rumours of rituals, sacrifices and cults. As Chris starts to spiral into madness and Ellie starts seeing and hearing things, it becomes apparent to Ellie that the previous occupants never really left..
I really enjoyed this book. It's the 2nd Janz novel I've read and I believe it's one of his earlier ones. I didn't want to give away too much in my synopsis, but you feel like you know the story after reading it I can promise you're wrong - this had a twist and a plotline that I was not expecting at all from the first few acts!
If you're expecting a traditional haunted house story, this is not it - but it is really good. I'm surprised there a very limited amount of reviews and ratings on this book on GR!
There wasn't anything in it that I didn't really like. The atmosphere was well built and the book made me want to keep on reading
July 3, 2019
Another Jonathan Janz added to my shelves! I won this in a contest and was excited to dive in! And I wasn’t disappointed! As I got into the story I came to see this as more a haunted land, malevolent spirits story filled with demons, vampires, a cult and dual existence. “Something wrong with the land, the forest was a sentient thing.”
If you have read any of his other stories you know that no one is safe and I love that. He brings great character development to his works, you care about them, feel their wants, their confusion, and pain, their desires and hopes, but you also know they may not survive! Usually ending in a bloody, horrifying death! This one is no exception, it’s filled with nonstop horrific circumstances that continue to the very last page!
Janz is a great storyteller and if you are a horror fan than he is a must read!
If you have read any of his other stories you know that no one is safe and I love that. He brings great character development to his works, you care about them, feel their wants, their confusion, and pain, their desires and hopes, but you also know they may not survive! Usually ending in a bloody, horrifying death! This one is no exception, it’s filled with nonstop horrific circumstances that continue to the very last page!
Janz is a great storyteller and if you are a horror fan than he is a must read!
September 6, 2013
This was a Goodreads win. I haven't read any type of horror book in years. There was a time I really enjoyed both Stephen King and Dean Koontz but that was in my younger years. I'm probably not a good one to rate this book because of that. I enjoyed the first half and then I lost interest. It was too bizarre and it lost me. I was less than 50 pages to finishing and I just gave up
January 8, 2025
This fantastic book is a prime example of why Janz is as popular as he is. Well drawn characters set in a story (nightmare) that pulls you in with each page. A story of a shaky marriage against a haunted woodland filled with horrible monsters is well worth your time.
April 9, 2013
Waaaaay too scarey.
May 18, 2016
OMG this book just blew me away it was so good! Great book, great author! Definitely a must read!
October 25, 2021
Review in English | Reseña en Español
I finished this book and my only thought was ‘What did I just read?’. Unfortunately this was not in a good way. The Darkest Lullaby is supposed to be a horror story but the truth is I felt there was a lot of real information on the characters and their backgrounds and very little detail on what was actually the supernatural element.
Ellie and Chris are a married couple that because of financial problems decide to move to a house Chris has inherited from his Aunt Lilith. The house is creepy and soon after their arrival, both start seeing things and experiencing changes in their personalities. It soon becomes obvious that both have a lot of issues from their pasts and the entities in the house play with that. This might have worked if this book was literary fiction on contemporary couples, but this wasn’t the case and that’s the main weakness of this book – we spent a lot of time on Ellie and Chris’s past and their faults instead of the horror element. We know there was a cult, we know people thought they could become vampires, and we learn there was a creepy European man who convinced many to follow him into the occult. But there are only brief glimpses of this because we focus more on the couple.
At least for me, it would have been best to learn of those creepy things than of marital problems. Also, the sex scenes, I mean, why?
I think there are much more interesting spooky stories out there than this one.
__
Al terminar este libro, lo único que pude pensar fue “¿qué acabo de leer?”, y no de una manera positiva. Esta novela se supone que es una historia de terror pero creo que resaltó más los elementos de la “vida real” de los propios personajes que en algún punto perdió la esencia de lo supernatural.
Esta historia va sobre Ellie y Chris, un matrimonio joven que debido a presiones económicas, decide mudarse a una propiedad que la tía de Chris, Lilith, le heredó. La casa es vieja y tiene una vibra rara, y poco después de llegar, la pareja empieza a ver cosas y a experimentar cambios en sus personalidades. Sin embargo, la narración nos reveló que ambos tenían muchos traumas e inseguridades y de alguna manera, la presencia dentro de la casa va a jugar con eso. Ahora bien, esto hubiera estado bien si el libro fuera ficción contemporánea sobre los problemas de cualquier matrimonio joven, pero bueno, no era el caso. Y creo que pasamos demasiado tiempo en el pasado y los problemas mentales de cada uno de ellos en vez que la trama se enfoque en la historia de terror, que fue lo que yo esperaba. Sabemos que había un culto, sabemos que un pueblo creía en la posibilidad de convertirse en vampiros, y sabemos que fue un hombre europeo que los convenció de ello y de seguirlo en el ocultismo. Pero este conocimiento se queda por encima, sin realmente profundizar o darnos detalles interesantes, que era lo que en particular me hubiera interesado más. Así que la historia se queda más bien pobre, en mi opinión.
Además, hay varias escenas de sexo y solo pude preguntarme, ¿cuál era la necesidad?
Creo que hay historias de terror más interesantes que pueden encontrar allá afuera.
I finished this book and my only thought was ‘What did I just read?’. Unfortunately this was not in a good way. The Darkest Lullaby is supposed to be a horror story but the truth is I felt there was a lot of real information on the characters and their backgrounds and very little detail on what was actually the supernatural element.
Ellie and Chris are a married couple that because of financial problems decide to move to a house Chris has inherited from his Aunt Lilith. The house is creepy and soon after their arrival, both start seeing things and experiencing changes in their personalities. It soon becomes obvious that both have a lot of issues from their pasts and the entities in the house play with that. This might have worked if this book was literary fiction on contemporary couples, but this wasn’t the case and that’s the main weakness of this book – we spent a lot of time on Ellie and Chris’s past and their faults instead of the horror element. We know there was a cult, we know people thought they could become vampires, and we learn there was a creepy European man who convinced many to follow him into the occult. But there are only brief glimpses of this because we focus more on the couple.
At least for me, it would have been best to learn of those creepy things than of marital problems. Also, the sex scenes, I mean, why?
I think there are much more interesting spooky stories out there than this one.
__
Al terminar este libro, lo único que pude pensar fue “¿qué acabo de leer?”, y no de una manera positiva. Esta novela se supone que es una historia de terror pero creo que resaltó más los elementos de la “vida real” de los propios personajes que en algún punto perdió la esencia de lo supernatural.
Esta historia va sobre Ellie y Chris, un matrimonio joven que debido a presiones económicas, decide mudarse a una propiedad que la tía de Chris, Lilith, le heredó. La casa es vieja y tiene una vibra rara, y poco después de llegar, la pareja empieza a ver cosas y a experimentar cambios en sus personalidades. Sin embargo, la narración nos reveló que ambos tenían muchos traumas e inseguridades y de alguna manera, la presencia dentro de la casa va a jugar con eso. Ahora bien, esto hubiera estado bien si el libro fuera ficción contemporánea sobre los problemas de cualquier matrimonio joven, pero bueno, no era el caso. Y creo que pasamos demasiado tiempo en el pasado y los problemas mentales de cada uno de ellos en vez que la trama se enfoque en la historia de terror, que fue lo que yo esperaba. Sabemos que había un culto, sabemos que un pueblo creía en la posibilidad de convertirse en vampiros, y sabemos que fue un hombre europeo que los convenció de ello y de seguirlo en el ocultismo. Pero este conocimiento se queda por encima, sin realmente profundizar o darnos detalles interesantes, que era lo que en particular me hubiera interesado más. Así que la historia se queda más bien pobre, en mi opinión.
Además, hay varias escenas de sexo y solo pude preguntarme, ¿cuál era la necesidad?
Creo que hay historias de terror más interesantes que pueden encontrar allá afuera.
August 1, 2023
Time taken to read - 4 days
Pages - 304
Publisher - Flame Tree Press
Source - Bought
Blurb from Goodreads
Ellie Crane doesn't believe in demons or vampires, but she still hates the idea of moving into a creepy old house. But when her husband's aunt bequeaths them a sprawling forest estate, Ellie finds herself stuck in a setting straight out of a horror movie. Then the real horror begins.
After a gruesome accident on the night of their arrival, Ellie awakens to find something lapping at her wounds. Her husband Chris undergoes a radical change--and not for the better. The darkness dissipates, however, when Ellie learns that after three years of trying, she and Chris have finally conceived.
But Ellie and her unborn child are in terrible danger. For fifty years Chris's Aunt Lillith lived a secret life of demon worship, vampirism, and violent eroticism. She and her lover believed they'd have to undergo death and resurrection to continue their reign of terror.
Now Chris, who has been enchanted by a mysterious woman in the woods, is determined to help them. Ellie will have to overcome her husband's madness, her personal demons, the supernatural creatures whose powers are growing--even the very forest, which has grown sentient and malevolent--if she is to save her baby and herself.
But the reach of Lillith's power is unimaginable. And she needs innocent blood to make her resurrection complete.
My Review
Guys this is a dark read, haunted house, satanic worshipers, ghosts (or rather demons with vampireyness tones). Ellie & Chris are moving to Chris's aunts old huge house, small town, quite isolated & financial necessity than want. Ellie was never a fan of the aunt, Chris was the apple of the aunt's eye and death isn't always the end especially if you are into the dark/evil arts.
I liked the creepy haunted house style parts, you know evil forces at at work but you really have no idea what all is going on. I had echoes of The Amityville (the changes in Chris and effect the house had), I felt I was reminded of a few old horror movies in parts as I went along, not rip offs but absolute echoes/influences of them.
I disliked the animal harm and at the opening chapter you know what is going to happen with the innocent wee baby. There is gaslighting, manipulation, the dog stuff - animals is always a hard no for me.
I think the book really gives a suspenseful eerie horrible creepy foreboding atmosphere and you know a book with have dark/ugly sides of humanity/evil when satanicism is involved. Haunted house meets dark spirits with some twisted obsessive/adult themes. It is a bit of a mixed bag, 3/5 for me.
Pages - 304
Publisher - Flame Tree Press
Source - Bought
Blurb from Goodreads
Ellie Crane doesn't believe in demons or vampires, but she still hates the idea of moving into a creepy old house. But when her husband's aunt bequeaths them a sprawling forest estate, Ellie finds herself stuck in a setting straight out of a horror movie. Then the real horror begins.
After a gruesome accident on the night of their arrival, Ellie awakens to find something lapping at her wounds. Her husband Chris undergoes a radical change--and not for the better. The darkness dissipates, however, when Ellie learns that after three years of trying, she and Chris have finally conceived.
But Ellie and her unborn child are in terrible danger. For fifty years Chris's Aunt Lillith lived a secret life of demon worship, vampirism, and violent eroticism. She and her lover believed they'd have to undergo death and resurrection to continue their reign of terror.
Now Chris, who has been enchanted by a mysterious woman in the woods, is determined to help them. Ellie will have to overcome her husband's madness, her personal demons, the supernatural creatures whose powers are growing--even the very forest, which has grown sentient and malevolent--if she is to save her baby and herself.
But the reach of Lillith's power is unimaginable. And she needs innocent blood to make her resurrection complete.
My Review
Guys this is a dark read, haunted house, satanic worshipers, ghosts (or rather demons with vampireyness tones). Ellie & Chris are moving to Chris's aunts old huge house, small town, quite isolated & financial necessity than want. Ellie was never a fan of the aunt, Chris was the apple of the aunt's eye and death isn't always the end especially if you are into the dark/evil arts.
I liked the creepy haunted house style parts, you know evil forces at at work but you really have no idea what all is going on. I had echoes of The Amityville (the changes in Chris and effect the house had), I felt I was reminded of a few old horror movies in parts as I went along, not rip offs but absolute echoes/influences of them.
I disliked the animal harm and at the opening chapter you know what is going to happen with the innocent wee baby. There is gaslighting, manipulation, the dog stuff - animals is always a hard no for me.
I think the book really gives a suspenseful eerie horrible creepy foreboding atmosphere and you know a book with have dark/ugly sides of humanity/evil when satanicism is involved. Haunted house meets dark spirits with some twisted obsessive/adult themes. It is a bit of a mixed bag, 3/5 for me.
August 19, 2023
It started off interesting enough but it slowly petered out in the middle. The way ellie kept dismissing the clear signs that something is wrong irritated me. Chris was so easy to possess. It would have done better if there was a bit more resistance to the story. The ending while not bad, was hoping for somewhat of a different outcome.
August 1, 2019
I was fortunate enough to win an ARC of The Darkest Lullaby from Flame Tree Press, and I loved having the opportunity to read another book by Jonathan Janz. It’s a dark, creepy take on a haunted location story, bringing with it a unique version of vampires, cults, and family secrets.
There are some scenes that seem somewhat rushed, that leave you wondering how you got to that particular plot point, but overall, this book is a great read, with moments that make your skin crawl and leave you glancing around the room while you read. Janz is rapidly becoming one of my favorite horror writers, and I can’t wait to add more of his work to my collection.
There are some scenes that seem somewhat rushed, that leave you wondering how you got to that particular plot point, but overall, this book is a great read, with moments that make your skin crawl and leave you glancing around the room while you read. Janz is rapidly becoming one of my favorite horror writers, and I can’t wait to add more of his work to my collection.
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