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Non aprite quella morta
Che si tratti di un faro maledetto, di una villa infestata in Italia, di un inquietante sfasciacarrozze in Texas o di un sinistro villaggio sotterraneo, Dana Roberts e la sua assistente Jana si ritrovano ogni volta a indagare su casi inspiegabili e parecchio pericolosi. Ad assisterle, oltre all’intuito infallibile e un ingegno analitico che tanto ricordano quello di Sherlock Holmes e John Watson, una serie di preziosissimi oggetti-amuleti: acqua santa, candele fatte di grasso umano, polveri benedette, terra di cimitero e vari strumenti di magia che acquistano potere grazie alla fede di chi li possiede. Qualsiasi cosa pur di impedire agli esseri provenienti da altre dimensioni di creare scompiglio nel nostro mondo. Una raccolta di storie inedite popolate da personaggi memorabili che colloca Joe e Kasey Lansdale al fianco dei maestri indiscussi dei libri dell’orrore.
320 pages, Paperback
First published May 29, 2018
35 people are currently reading
1366 people want to read
About the author
Joe R. Lansdale
818 books3,891 followersChampion Mojo Storyteller Joe R. Lansdale is the author of over forty novels and numerous short stories. His work has appeared in national anthologies, magazines, and collections, as well as numerous foreign publications. He has written for comics, television, film, newspapers, and Internet sites. His work has been collected in more than two dozen short-story collections, and he has edited or co-edited over a dozen anthologies. He has received the Edgar Award, eight Bram Stoker Awards, the Horror Writers Association Lifetime Achievement Award, the British Fantasy Award, the Grinzani Cavour Prize for Literature, the Herodotus Historical Fiction Award, the Inkpot Award for Contributions to Science Fiction and Fantasy, and many others. His novella Bubba Ho-Tep was adapted to film by Don Coscarelli, starring Bruce Campbell and Ossie Davis. His story "Incident On and Off a Mountain Road" was adapted to film for Showtime's "Masters of Horror," and he adapted his short story "Christmas with the Dead" to film hisownself. The film adaptation of his novel Cold in July was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival, and the Sundance Channel has adapted his Hap & Leonard novels for television.
He is currently co-producing several films, among them The Bottoms, based on his Edgar Award-winning novel, with Bill Paxton and Brad Wyman, and The Drive-In, with Greg Nicotero. He is Writer In Residence at Stephen F. Austin State University, and is the founder of the martial arts system Shen Chuan: Martial Science and its affiliate, Shen Chuan Family System. He is a member of both the United States and International Martial Arts Halls of Fame. He lives in Nacogdoches, Texas with his wife, dog, and two cats.
He is currently co-producing several films, among them The Bottoms, based on his Edgar Award-winning novel, with Bill Paxton and Brad Wyman, and The Drive-In, with Greg Nicotero. He is Writer In Residence at Stephen F. Austin State University, and is the founder of the martial arts system Shen Chuan: Martial Science and its affiliate, Shen Chuan Family System. He is a member of both the United States and International Martial Arts Halls of Fame. He lives in Nacogdoches, Texas with his wife, dog, and two cats.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 79 reviews
May 7, 2018
Joe Lansdale always delivers and now we know that Kasey Lansdale does too!
In the foreword, the "Champion Mojo Storyteller" shares with us a little bit about his character Dana Roberts, and how she came about investigating what she calls the "supernormal." This being what most people call "supernatural," but what Dana believes are just events that science cannot yet explain. I enjoyed her tales a LOT, mostly because I loved the framework of Dana being asked to share her stories with a group of skeptical men, (and sometimes women), in a smoky club. In the last two tales, Dana hires Jana, (Kasey Lansdale's creation), and they investigate a few cases together. While Dana is the skeptical, professional and beautiful lead "investigator," Jana is the irreverent, less polished, but also beautiful, sidekick. Having these last tales be from her POV was brilliant, giving us a different look at Dana's work while also highlighting the fact that Dana is kind of hoity-toity and not as willing to get her hands dirty as this reader first thought.
My favorites of the bunch were:
THE CASE OF THE LIGHTHOUSE SHAMBLER I'm a sucker for haunted lighthouse stories and this one was a doozy.
THE CASE OF THE FOUR ACRE HAUNT was the tale of a haunted house. What made it special for me were the descriptions of the shadows; some of them honestly gave me the heebie-jeebies, and that doesn't happen often. Well done!
THE CASE OF THE ANGRY TRAVELER featured one of my favorite tropes-the whole city discovered beneath today's city type-thing. Now you know that Dana and friends found something down there, but what was it, exactly? You'll have to read this book to find out!
Of the two Jana and Dana stories, THE CASE OF THE RAGMAN'S ANGUISH stood out the most for me. This was more of a novella than a short story, but there were different aspects to it than in the other tales, (I won't say what those aspects were), which made it unique and my favorite story of the bunch.
TERROR IS OUR BUSINESS was just plain fun and reminded me of the flat-out horror tales Joe Lansdale wrote back in the day. Joe's famous sense of humor may not be the prominent one in this collection, but Kasey's, (or Jana's) humor is, and it turns out? She's funny too!
Highly recommended for fans of short, scary stories that have a healthy side of humor and skepticism!
*Thanks to the authors and to the publicist at Cutting Block Books for the chance to read this book free, in exchange for my honest feedback. This is it.*
In the foreword, the "Champion Mojo Storyteller" shares with us a little bit about his character Dana Roberts, and how she came about investigating what she calls the "supernormal." This being what most people call "supernatural," but what Dana believes are just events that science cannot yet explain. I enjoyed her tales a LOT, mostly because I loved the framework of Dana being asked to share her stories with a group of skeptical men, (and sometimes women), in a smoky club. In the last two tales, Dana hires Jana, (Kasey Lansdale's creation), and they investigate a few cases together. While Dana is the skeptical, professional and beautiful lead "investigator," Jana is the irreverent, less polished, but also beautiful, sidekick. Having these last tales be from her POV was brilliant, giving us a different look at Dana's work while also highlighting the fact that Dana is kind of hoity-toity and not as willing to get her hands dirty as this reader first thought.
My favorites of the bunch were:
THE CASE OF THE LIGHTHOUSE SHAMBLER I'm a sucker for haunted lighthouse stories and this one was a doozy.
THE CASE OF THE FOUR ACRE HAUNT was the tale of a haunted house. What made it special for me were the descriptions of the shadows; some of them honestly gave me the heebie-jeebies, and that doesn't happen often. Well done!
THE CASE OF THE ANGRY TRAVELER featured one of my favorite tropes-the whole city discovered beneath today's city type-thing. Now you know that Dana and friends found something down there, but what was it, exactly? You'll have to read this book to find out!
Of the two Jana and Dana stories, THE CASE OF THE RAGMAN'S ANGUISH stood out the most for me. This was more of a novella than a short story, but there were different aspects to it than in the other tales, (I won't say what those aspects were), which made it unique and my favorite story of the bunch.
TERROR IS OUR BUSINESS was just plain fun and reminded me of the flat-out horror tales Joe Lansdale wrote back in the day. Joe's famous sense of humor may not be the prominent one in this collection, but Kasey's, (or Jana's) humor is, and it turns out? She's funny too!
Highly recommended for fans of short, scary stories that have a healthy side of humor and skepticism!
*Thanks to the authors and to the publicist at Cutting Block Books for the chance to read this book free, in exchange for my honest feedback. This is it.*
December 10, 2019
This was a fun collection of spooky short stories.
In the introduction, Joe Lansdale recommends spreading out your reading of the stories and I agree with that. Like he mentions in the intro, the stories follow a similar structure so reading them over time is definitely the better option. Otherwise, it is easy to tire of them.
Personally, I really loved Jana as a character. I felt more of a connection with her than I did with Dana. Jana was more relatable and added a nice dash of humor to the stories. My favorite story from the whole collection was the Jana solo story, “Blind Love.” That story felt very modern and fresh. That being said, aside from “Blind Love” my favorite stories were the Dana solo stories. Jana was great in the other stories, but I didn’t find the plots of them to be as interesting as the earlier Dana stories.
I also was happy that this book centered on female leads since you don’t always see that in the horror genre.
As for the horror level of this book, it is pretty mild. So if you are a scaredy cat, you’ll still be able to enjoy this collection.
Overall, this is a great collection of stories if you are in the mood for some paranormal mysteries.
In the introduction, Joe Lansdale recommends spreading out your reading of the stories and I agree with that. Like he mentions in the intro, the stories follow a similar structure so reading them over time is definitely the better option. Otherwise, it is easy to tire of them.
Personally, I really loved Jana as a character. I felt more of a connection with her than I did with Dana. Jana was more relatable and added a nice dash of humor to the stories. My favorite story from the whole collection was the Jana solo story, “Blind Love.” That story felt very modern and fresh. That being said, aside from “Blind Love” my favorite stories were the Dana solo stories. Jana was great in the other stories, but I didn’t find the plots of them to be as interesting as the earlier Dana stories.
I also was happy that this book centered on female leads since you don’t always see that in the horror genre.
As for the horror level of this book, it is pretty mild. So if you are a scaredy cat, you’ll still be able to enjoy this collection.
Overall, this is a great collection of stories if you are in the mood for some paranormal mysteries.
May 26, 2018
Thank you to Lauren Roberts at Smith Publicity for sending the #nightworms an advanced copy of Terror is Our Business in exchange for honest reviews.
Having spent a majority of my reading time in the horror genre exclusively since September of last year, I feel like the genre has seeped into my bones and wrapped my brain in a fine residue by which everything I read is filtered through and judged by.
That being said, the standard at this point is high.
At first, this book was not doing it for me. Our protagonist, Dana, is a "debunker"/investigator of the supernormal and an invited guest at a skeptical men's social club. The story telling is so dry here, the technique of sharing Dana's experiences with unexplained events so basic, that nothing was scary or creepy--it read almost as a clinical/sterile story sharing--I found myself wanting to skim over the words.
I was told by my Night Worms crew that I should hang in there and wait until Kasey, Joe Lansdale's daughter, contributed.
Halfway through, Dana introduces her partner Jana (Kasey's character) and things do liven up with Jana's POV. However, I really wanted this to fix the whole reading experience but it just didn't quite get me there.
I'm not sure who I would recommend this collection to--perhaps Lansdale fans who want all of Lansdale's works?
But I don't think so because I've read some of his stories and there is a raw, edgy, pull-no-punches style to his writing that is totally lacking here.
Horror fans? No...this one fell a little flat. I wasn't scared or creeped out-nothing surprised me.
Maybe YA horror fans! Yes. So, if you have a preteen or YA reader in the house that wants a gateway drug into some stronger stuff, this would be a *great* book to start with.
Haunted Lighthouses, spooky houses, an X-Files style flavor with some interesting, female protagonists-perfect introductory subject material and plot tropes from the genre to whet the appetite. This book comes out on May 29th, 2018
Having spent a majority of my reading time in the horror genre exclusively since September of last year, I feel like the genre has seeped into my bones and wrapped my brain in a fine residue by which everything I read is filtered through and judged by.
That being said, the standard at this point is high.
At first, this book was not doing it for me. Our protagonist, Dana, is a "debunker"/investigator of the supernormal and an invited guest at a skeptical men's social club. The story telling is so dry here, the technique of sharing Dana's experiences with unexplained events so basic, that nothing was scary or creepy--it read almost as a clinical/sterile story sharing--I found myself wanting to skim over the words.
I was told by my Night Worms crew that I should hang in there and wait until Kasey, Joe Lansdale's daughter, contributed.
Halfway through, Dana introduces her partner Jana (Kasey's character) and things do liven up with Jana's POV. However, I really wanted this to fix the whole reading experience but it just didn't quite get me there.
I'm not sure who I would recommend this collection to--perhaps Lansdale fans who want all of Lansdale's works?
But I don't think so because I've read some of his stories and there is a raw, edgy, pull-no-punches style to his writing that is totally lacking here.
Horror fans? No...this one fell a little flat. I wasn't scared or creeped out-nothing surprised me.
Maybe YA horror fans! Yes. So, if you have a preteen or YA reader in the house that wants a gateway drug into some stronger stuff, this would be a *great* book to start with.
Haunted Lighthouses, spooky houses, an X-Files style flavor with some interesting, female protagonists-perfect introductory subject material and plot tropes from the genre to whet the appetite. This book comes out on May 29th, 2018
December 10, 2022
Woow! This book has been a panacea for these days.....Hilarious, funny and above all scary!
Dana Roberts, our main character and horror detective, is a tough cookie, who knows her stuff and manages to tell you about her supernatural cases, managing, even with a lot of effort, to solve them, absolutely taking you there with her.
The descriptions and the various conditions are perfect, so much so that they give you heart-stopping adrenaline up to 200 bites!
The episodes, with her colleague and collaborator Jan,a are the best, you laugh and get anxious like there's no tomorrow!
Not to be missed!!!
Woow! Questo libro è stato un toccasana per queste giornate.....Isilarante, simpatico ma soprattutto da farsela sotto dalla paura!!
Dana Roberts,la nostra protagonista e detective dell' horror, è una tipa tosta, che sa il fatto suo e riesce a raccontarti i suoi casi soprannaturali riusciendo, anche con molta fatica a risolverli, portandoni assolutamente lì con lei.
Perfette le descrizioni e le varie condizioni,tanto da farti venire dei livelli di adrenalina da cardiopalmo a 200!!
Gli episodi con la sua collega e collaboratrice Jana sono i più belli, si ride e ci si angoscia dall' ansia come se non ci fosse un domani!
Da non perdere!!
Dana Roberts, our main character and horror detective, is a tough cookie, who knows her stuff and manages to tell you about her supernatural cases, managing, even with a lot of effort, to solve them, absolutely taking you there with her.
The descriptions and the various conditions are perfect, so much so that they give you heart-stopping adrenaline up to 200 bites!
The episodes, with her colleague and collaborator Jan,a are the best, you laugh and get anxious like there's no tomorrow!
Not to be missed!!!
Woow! Questo libro è stato un toccasana per queste giornate.....Isilarante, simpatico ma soprattutto da farsela sotto dalla paura!!
Dana Roberts,la nostra protagonista e detective dell' horror, è una tipa tosta, che sa il fatto suo e riesce a raccontarti i suoi casi soprannaturali riusciendo, anche con molta fatica a risolverli, portandoni assolutamente lì con lei.
Perfette le descrizioni e le varie condizioni,tanto da farti venire dei livelli di adrenalina da cardiopalmo a 200!!
Gli episodi con la sua collega e collaboratrice Jana sono i più belli, si ride e ci si angoscia dall' ansia come se non ci fosse un domani!
Da non perdere!!
May 30, 2018
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 5
Well I have to say that I don't read much horror, but when I heard Terror is Our Business: Dana Roberts' Casebook of Horrors by Joe R. Lansdale and his daughter Kasey was a collection of short stories/cases of a paranormal investigator I said sign me up! The concept of a paranormal investigator is different from anything I have ever read, and I really enjoyed it.
Terror Is Our Business focuses on a supernatural investigator named Dana who prefers to be called a supernormal investigator because all her cases are just things we have yet to understand. You get reminded of this a lot which did get on my nerves a little. In the intro from Joe Lansdale he does mention that each of the stories (or cases if you will) are meant to be read once per day or once per week, so maybe the book is written based on the thinking we forgot? Either way, it got a little repetitive for me and I think they could have left it out after the first time.
Anyway, most of the cases are told as Dana speaking to a "men's" club - think cigars, drinking, and food but with a couple of women members - but the last 2 are with her new assistant Jana (created by Kasey), and the story before those is all Jana and her first experience with the "supernormal." I did love the comic relief Jana provided as Dana can be a bit stiff as a character. However, and I'm sure this will be an unpopular opinion, I actually tended to prefer the club stories because you got case details only, plus they were straight and to the point as opposed to reading about all of Jana's thoughts and actions.
The cases were full of creepiness, weirdness, and sometimes a bit of gore, but I didn't get that horror vibe that I was expecting. There are definitely some intense scenes, but I wasn't scared in a way I usually am with full blown horror. I think this is a good book for people that don't normally read the genre but kind of want to get their feet wet so to speak.
I loved that both Kasey and her father were involved in the writing of this book - the family that writes horror together stays together? I really didn't want it to end because I was having so much fun reading it. I really hope there is more Jana and Dana (or at least Dana) in the near future.
Final Thought: While the book was a bit repetitive at times and I didn't feel like this was really horror, I still seriously enjoyed Terror Is Our Business. This is the first time I've read anything from Joe R. Lansdale and I hear it is very different from his usual work. I might go back and read some of his books, but I just really love the idea of a paranormal investigator who is a seriously strong female character. All I know is I want more Dana pronto, and I'm going to be very sad if I don't see this character again.
Terror Is Our Business in 3-ish words: Page-Turner, Spine-Tingling, Mysterious
Well I have to say that I don't read much horror, but when I heard Terror is Our Business: Dana Roberts' Casebook of Horrors by Joe R. Lansdale and his daughter Kasey was a collection of short stories/cases of a paranormal investigator I said sign me up! The concept of a paranormal investigator is different from anything I have ever read, and I really enjoyed it.
Terror Is Our Business focuses on a supernatural investigator named Dana who prefers to be called a supernormal investigator because all her cases are just things we have yet to understand. You get reminded of this a lot which did get on my nerves a little. In the intro from Joe Lansdale he does mention that each of the stories (or cases if you will) are meant to be read once per day or once per week, so maybe the book is written based on the thinking we forgot? Either way, it got a little repetitive for me and I think they could have left it out after the first time.
Anyway, most of the cases are told as Dana speaking to a "men's" club - think cigars, drinking, and food but with a couple of women members - but the last 2 are with her new assistant Jana (created by Kasey), and the story before those is all Jana and her first experience with the "supernormal." I did love the comic relief Jana provided as Dana can be a bit stiff as a character. However, and I'm sure this will be an unpopular opinion, I actually tended to prefer the club stories because you got case details only, plus they were straight and to the point as opposed to reading about all of Jana's thoughts and actions.
The cases were full of creepiness, weirdness, and sometimes a bit of gore, but I didn't get that horror vibe that I was expecting. There are definitely some intense scenes, but I wasn't scared in a way I usually am with full blown horror. I think this is a good book for people that don't normally read the genre but kind of want to get their feet wet so to speak.
I loved that both Kasey and her father were involved in the writing of this book - the family that writes horror together stays together? I really didn't want it to end because I was having so much fun reading it. I really hope there is more Jana and Dana (or at least Dana) in the near future.
Final Thought: While the book was a bit repetitive at times and I didn't feel like this was really horror, I still seriously enjoyed Terror Is Our Business. This is the first time I've read anything from Joe R. Lansdale and I hear it is very different from his usual work. I might go back and read some of his books, but I just really love the idea of a paranormal investigator who is a seriously strong female character. All I know is I want more Dana pronto, and I'm going to be very sad if I don't see this character again.
Terror Is Our Business in 3-ish words: Page-Turner, Spine-Tingling, Mysterious
June 11, 2024
A collection born from Joe Lansdale's love for the atmospheres of classic horror "stories" and then resulted in an unexpected, yet very fruitful collaboration with Kasey, his daughter.
I put the word stories in quotation marks because that's what it's all about: in the first introduction (which should be read and not skipped!), Joe confesses that he loves that classic and very atmospheric setup in which in an old-fashioned club an anonymous narrator hosts and introduce the person (in this case a woman) who will tell the actual story.
The first four stories are therefore told to us by Dana's voice: a beautiful, fascinating, measured resolution of "supernormal" phenomena. The definition is hers, not mine: Dana lives immersed up to her neck in the supernatural, but she is an atheist and despite using holy water and magical or sacred objects she is always careful to reduce everything she encounters to "phenomena that science still cannot explain", a bit like lightning for prehistoric men. Moreover, prayers work because those who believe write them. This tirade is said at the beginning and repeated several times, but for me she kids herself s a bit, just think about it for a moment : in hes assignments she encounters and in this picture it is not legitimate to talk about the supernatural? About souls and gods?
Beyond this, Dana is a woman of science who knows that you do not mess around with certain forces, so the adventures she experiences are truly scary. In particular, the case of the lurking shadow and that of the enraged traveler struck me, but the beauty of all the stories is that, despite having classic themes and structure, there is always that moment when something arrives that surprises you, that you did not foresee and that makes you hold your breath.
Then follows a strange adventure of Jana, creation of Kasey, Joe's daughter, and the two final stories in which Dana and Jana collaborate, the first a mentor and employer, the second a perplexed at first, then reckless and impulsive helper. She is always witty. In awe, often, but only to a point, because the whole world is the butt of her jokes, and Dana is no exception. As Kasey herself said, Jana's arrival makes the stories lighter and more tender, rejuvenates them. I believe that those two are in some way the alter egos of father and daughter, even in the dynamics of their relationship. Of the two stories in which they go ghost hunting together, I preferred the first, the case of the bloody wall, because in the last one
I really envy Kasey, who had the chance to learn and collaborate with such an author and I really hope that the series continues.
Raccolta nata dall'amore di Joe Lansdale per le atmosfere dei classici "racconti" dell'orrore e sfociata poi in una fortunosa, eppure fruttuosissima collaborazione con Kasey, sua figlia.
Ho messo fra virgolette la parola racconti perché di questo si tratta: nella prima introduzione, (che va letta e non saltata!), Joe confessa di amare quell'impianto classico e molto di atmosfera in cui in un club vecchio stampo un anonimo narratore ospita e introduce colui (in questo caso colei) che racconterà la storia vera e propria.
I primi quattro racconti ci vengono perciò raccontati dalla voce di Dana: bella, affascinante, misurata risolutrice di fenomeni "sopranormali". La definizione è sua, non mia: Dana vive immersa fino al collo nel soprannaturale, ma è atea e pur usando acqua santa e oggetti magici o sacri è sempre ben attenta a ridurre tutto ciò che incontra a "fenomeni che la scienza ancora non sa spiegare", un po' come i fulmini per gli uomini preistorici. E le preghiere? Funzionano perché scritte da chi crede. Questa tiritera viene detta in principio e ripetuta diverse volte, ma per me un po' se la racconta, basta pensarci un attimo: nei suoi incarichi incontra e in questo quadro non è lecito parlare di soprannaturale? Di anime e di dèi?
Al di là di questo Dana è una donna di scienza che comunque sa che con certe forze non si scherza, pertanto le avventure che vive sono paurose davvero. Mi hanno colpito in particolar modo il caso dell'ombra in agguato e quello del viaggiatore infuriato, ma il bello di tutti i racconti è che, pur avendo temi e impianto classico, c'è sempre quel momento in cui arriva qualcosa che ti sorprende, che non avevi previsto e che ti fa trattenere il respiro.
Segue poi una strana avventura di Jana, creatura di Kasey, la figlia di Joe, e i due racconti finali in cui Dana e Jana collaborano, la prima mentore e datrice di lavoro, la seconda aiutante perplessa prima, e incosciente e impulsiva poi. Spiritosa sempre. In soggezione, spesso, ma solo fino a un certo punto, perché il mondo intero è oggetto delle sue battute, e Dana non fa eccezione. Come detto dalla stessa Kasey, l'arrivo di Jana rende i racconti più lievi e teneri, li ringiovanisce. Credo che quelle due siano in qualche modo gli alter ego di padre e figlia, anche nelle dinamiche del loro rapporto. Dei due racconti in cui vanno insieme a caccia di fantasmi ho preferito il primo, il caso del muro sanguinante, perché nell'ultimo si scomoda
Invidio molto Kasey, che ha avuto la possibilità di imparare e collaborare con cotanto autore e spero davvero che la serie continui.
May 22, 2018
Thank you to Smith Publicity and Kasey Lansdale for providing this book to the NightWorms in exchange for an honest review.
This is my first book by Joe R. Lansdale, and it definitely will not be my last! And I'm thrilled that this one was a collaboration between Joe and his daughter Kasey. The Lansdale's work seamlessly together, and Kasey adds a lot of fun to the supernormal world of Dana Roberts. I had a blast reading this!
The book is a collection of Joe's earlier stories involving a "supernormal" detective named Dana Roberts. Dana doesn't believe in the supernatural per se, but she does believe that there are things that exist that cannot yet be explained by science. Lansdale's earlier stories all have the same structure. Dana visits this club or society as a guest speaker and tells the members who have gathered the tales of her adventures. She soon becomes a wildly popular speaker at the club, and continues to visit to entertain them. I love this type of storytelling. The reader is drawn into the story by feeling as if they are actually there in the room, drink in hand, with a fire roaring in order to warm the listeners from the nasty weather outside. It's cosy and personable, and I adore it.
Midway through the collection Kasey Lansdale begins to collaborate with her father on Dana's stories, and she adds her own character, Jana. Jana is down-to-earth and funny, and quickly becomes the yin to Dana's prim and uptight yang. Jana adds a lot of humor to the story, and again the reader feels drawn in because she is much more relatable than Dana. The duo balance each other perfectly, and their cases together are some of my favorites in the book. Much like Dana and Jana, Joe and Kasey mirror that relationship and work together with ease. Yes, this is the first book I've read by Joe R. Lansdale, but I still couldn't tell where he stopped and Kasey picked up the story. I really hope that they continue to work together to give us more tales with these two fantastic female detectives. I'm definitely a fan.
This is my first book by Joe R. Lansdale, and it definitely will not be my last! And I'm thrilled that this one was a collaboration between Joe and his daughter Kasey. The Lansdale's work seamlessly together, and Kasey adds a lot of fun to the supernormal world of Dana Roberts. I had a blast reading this!
The book is a collection of Joe's earlier stories involving a "supernormal" detective named Dana Roberts. Dana doesn't believe in the supernatural per se, but she does believe that there are things that exist that cannot yet be explained by science. Lansdale's earlier stories all have the same structure. Dana visits this club or society as a guest speaker and tells the members who have gathered the tales of her adventures. She soon becomes a wildly popular speaker at the club, and continues to visit to entertain them. I love this type of storytelling. The reader is drawn into the story by feeling as if they are actually there in the room, drink in hand, with a fire roaring in order to warm the listeners from the nasty weather outside. It's cosy and personable, and I adore it.
Midway through the collection Kasey Lansdale begins to collaborate with her father on Dana's stories, and she adds her own character, Jana. Jana is down-to-earth and funny, and quickly becomes the yin to Dana's prim and uptight yang. Jana adds a lot of humor to the story, and again the reader feels drawn in because she is much more relatable than Dana. The duo balance each other perfectly, and their cases together are some of my favorites in the book. Much like Dana and Jana, Joe and Kasey mirror that relationship and work together with ease. Yes, this is the first book I've read by Joe R. Lansdale, but I still couldn't tell where he stopped and Kasey picked up the story. I really hope that they continue to work together to give us more tales with these two fantastic female detectives. I'm definitely a fan.
May 22, 2018
Thanks to Cutting Block Books for sending all us Nightworms free review copies of this book! It is much appreciated.
I was not sure what to expect going into this collection of stories. I gave the synopsis a cursory glance before diving in; I am a Joe Lansdale fan (By Bizarre Hands is one of my all-time favorite horror collections), and that was enough for me.
Featured herein are seven tales of the spiritual and supernormal, featuring supernormal investigator Dana Roberts and, occasionally, her sidekick Jana. The stories feature a wide range of ghosts and demons and other haunts; the stories are nothing if not varied.
The first story, “The Case of the Lighthouse Shambler,” is a favorite as I love old lighthouses and think they make for excellent haunted stories. Why are they not used more in horror fiction? Maybe that is what makes them so special: they are not overused like vampires and old houses. The stories narrated by Dana, however, are a bit dry — I found the language she uses a bit boring, and I was not able to really engage with her as a character. Because of that, I found myself skimming here and there, waiting for things to pick up.
And they did. After an introduction from Kasey, Joe’s daughter, the character of Jana is introduced, giving new life to Dana and her investigations. Jana adds heart and humor to this collection, and I liked her much more than Dana — who, by the end, came across as rather egotistical and cold.
I don’t think I will ever come back to this collection, but I did enjoy myself. It’s a fine read, for what it is, and I think Joe and Kasey had a good time working together.
My ranking of the stories (from favorite to least favorite):
“Blind Love”
“The Case of the Ragman’s Anguish”
“The Case of the Lighthouse Shambler”
“The Case of the Bleeding Wall”
“The Case of the Angry Traveler”
“The Case of the Four Acre Haunt”
“The Case of the Stalking Shadow”
This book releases on 5/29!
I was not sure what to expect going into this collection of stories. I gave the synopsis a cursory glance before diving in; I am a Joe Lansdale fan (By Bizarre Hands is one of my all-time favorite horror collections), and that was enough for me.
Featured herein are seven tales of the spiritual and supernormal, featuring supernormal investigator Dana Roberts and, occasionally, her sidekick Jana. The stories feature a wide range of ghosts and demons and other haunts; the stories are nothing if not varied.
The first story, “The Case of the Lighthouse Shambler,” is a favorite as I love old lighthouses and think they make for excellent haunted stories. Why are they not used more in horror fiction? Maybe that is what makes them so special: they are not overused like vampires and old houses. The stories narrated by Dana, however, are a bit dry — I found the language she uses a bit boring, and I was not able to really engage with her as a character. Because of that, I found myself skimming here and there, waiting for things to pick up.
And they did. After an introduction from Kasey, Joe’s daughter, the character of Jana is introduced, giving new life to Dana and her investigations. Jana adds heart and humor to this collection, and I liked her much more than Dana — who, by the end, came across as rather egotistical and cold.
I don’t think I will ever come back to this collection, but I did enjoy myself. It’s a fine read, for what it is, and I think Joe and Kasey had a good time working together.
My ranking of the stories (from favorite to least favorite):
“Blind Love”
“The Case of the Ragman’s Anguish”
“The Case of the Lighthouse Shambler”
“The Case of the Bleeding Wall”
“The Case of the Angry Traveler”
“The Case of the Four Acre Haunt”
“The Case of the Stalking Shadow”
This book releases on 5/29!
May 30, 2018
Terror is Our Business was such a fun read for me. The stories in this collection were influenced by Algernon Blackwood, William Hope Hodgson, and Seabury Quinn. If you've known me for a while, you know how much I love Algernon Blackwood. I will be bumping my Seabury Quinn collection up the TBR immediately.
I could see the Algernon Blackwood influence immediately in the first story The Case of the Lighthouse Shambler. A solid mix of Blackwood and Lansdale was a slice of heaven for me.
I mentioned earlier this month that I was craving creatures that dwell in the dark. The setting in The Case of the Angry Traveler absolutely satisfied that craving for me. It was perfect timing!
The only complaints I had were actually addressed in Joe Lansdale's introduction to the collection. The beginning stories were framed with an old school storytelling device that put a bit of a wall between the reader and the story. There were also a lot of similarities between the original Dana Roberts tales. These minor complaints dropped off midway, though, as the character Jana entered the book and offered a fresh perspective on the remaining stories.
Overall, I had a blast with Terror is Our Business. It hit on so many supernatural elements that I love. If you are a Lansdale fan or you love weird fiction reminiscent of Algernon Blackwood, H.P. Lovecraft, or H.G. Wells, you will want to read this collection. I'm sad that I don't have any more Dana Roberts stories. I will be anxiously awaiting the opportunity to read more.
3.5 Stars
I could see the Algernon Blackwood influence immediately in the first story The Case of the Lighthouse Shambler. A solid mix of Blackwood and Lansdale was a slice of heaven for me.
I mentioned earlier this month that I was craving creatures that dwell in the dark. The setting in The Case of the Angry Traveler absolutely satisfied that craving for me. It was perfect timing!
The only complaints I had were actually addressed in Joe Lansdale's introduction to the collection. The beginning stories were framed with an old school storytelling device that put a bit of a wall between the reader and the story. There were also a lot of similarities between the original Dana Roberts tales. These minor complaints dropped off midway, though, as the character Jana entered the book and offered a fresh perspective on the remaining stories.
Overall, I had a blast with Terror is Our Business. It hit on so many supernatural elements that I love. If you are a Lansdale fan or you love weird fiction reminiscent of Algernon Blackwood, H.P. Lovecraft, or H.G. Wells, you will want to read this collection. I'm sad that I don't have any more Dana Roberts stories. I will be anxiously awaiting the opportunity to read more.
3.5 Stars
May 18, 2018
Terror is Our Business was a fun read, and I enjoyed seeing the way that the stories changed and progressed from beginning to end. This book is made up of 7 stories - the first 4 are written by Joe, and they are told in a club storytelling format - Dana shares each story with a group. The last 3 stories are written by both Joe & Kasey, and they are told from the POV of Dana's new assistant Jana.
I really liked the introductions from Joe & Kasey. They work well together, and it sounds like they had a lot of fun writing.
I enjoyed the last half of the book much more than the first. The first few stories are a little too stilted/formal - Dana isn't a very warm character, which is fine, so at times it felt like a large disconnect between storyteller and readers I much preferred hearing about her through Jana.
The one thing that I found most frustrating was Dana explaining her phrasing of "supernormal" over and over. It felt really pretentious by the end, and I started rolling my eyes whenever she would correct someone who said "supernatural". I could have done with less of that.
Some of the stories were promisingly spooky! I really enjoyed The Case of the Bleeding Wall, The Case of the Ragman's Anguish, The Case of the Four Acre Haunt, and The Case of the Angry Traveler in particular. Bleeding Wall was definitely my favorite, though.
I hope to read more from Joe & Kasey Lansdale soon! Terror is Our Business will be out on 5/29. Thank you to Smith Publicity for sending early copies to the Nightworms!
I really liked the introductions from Joe & Kasey. They work well together, and it sounds like they had a lot of fun writing.
I enjoyed the last half of the book much more than the first. The first few stories are a little too stilted/formal - Dana isn't a very warm character, which is fine, so at times it felt like a large disconnect between storyteller and readers I much preferred hearing about her through Jana.
The one thing that I found most frustrating was Dana explaining her phrasing of "supernormal" over and over. It felt really pretentious by the end, and I started rolling my eyes whenever she would correct someone who said "supernatural". I could have done with less of that.
Some of the stories were promisingly spooky! I really enjoyed The Case of the Bleeding Wall, The Case of the Ragman's Anguish, The Case of the Four Acre Haunt, and The Case of the Angry Traveler in particular. Bleeding Wall was definitely my favorite, though.
I hope to read more from Joe & Kasey Lansdale soon! Terror is Our Business will be out on 5/29. Thank you to Smith Publicity for sending early copies to the Nightworms!
December 22, 2020
Thank you, Smith Publicity for providing all the #nightworms free copies of Terror is Our Business to read and review!
TIOB was my first Joe Lansdale reading experience. In the beginning, Joe recommends reading one story a day or one per week which I think is a fantastic way to go about this. I read about one story a day and it helped to break up the stories and not feel they were overlapping.
I enjoyed most of the stories, they were spooky. And while I understand that the style is purposely "stiff" I couldn't help but be a bit bored by it. Also, there was a lot of repeating of certain words and descriptions that get kind of annoying.
I thought the stories picked up and got a lot more fun once Jana (Kaseys character) arrive. If you like detective type stories that deal with the SUPERNORMAL (and you dont mind being reminded what supernormal is every story,hehe) then I recommend this to you!
TIOB was my first Joe Lansdale reading experience. In the beginning, Joe recommends reading one story a day or one per week which I think is a fantastic way to go about this. I read about one story a day and it helped to break up the stories and not feel they were overlapping.
I enjoyed most of the stories, they were spooky. And while I understand that the style is purposely "stiff" I couldn't help but be a bit bored by it. Also, there was a lot of repeating of certain words and descriptions that get kind of annoying.
I thought the stories picked up and got a lot more fun once Jana (Kaseys character) arrive. If you like detective type stories that deal with the SUPERNORMAL (and you dont mind being reminded what supernormal is every story,hehe) then I recommend this to you!
May 15, 2018
Terror is Our Business collects the Dana Roberts stories, previously published elsewhere, into a single volume, along with a new story, “The Case of the Ragman’s Anguish,” that is exclusive to this story. The book is split pretty evenly, with the first half devoted to stories written solely by Joe R. Lansdale, with the back-half featuring stories co-written by Joe and his daughter, Kasey Lansdale.
Inspired by works from Algernon Blackwood, William Hope Hodgson, and the mid-1970s TV series Kolchak: The Night Stalker, Lansdale presents a female investigator who specializes in the supernormal. An atheist (yay! Let's hear it for atheist representation in horror!), Dana does not believe in the supernatural, and believes that there is a scientific explanation for all those things that go bump in the night that we merely do not yet understand.
For the Joe Lansdale stories, the setup is simple - Dana is a guest at a men's club, invited to share a story as a paid speaker. Her stories are transcribed by one of the gentlemen, who includes an intro and outro that each of Dana's stories are couched between. I'm typically not a fan of such framed narratives, but it's a literary tradition Lansdale invokes here, along with a deliberate writing style, to pay homage to those earlier influences. While the stories are well-told, ultimately I found the narratives to be a bit stuffy and old fashioned for my tastes, in addition to formulaic. Each story follows a very episodic three-act format, with its introduction of the characters and the initial problem at hand, some examination of the supernormal conceit, typically a haunting of some sort, followed by a tidy resolution. None of the stories break this mold or shake up the story presentation, although the last three stories do carry a fresher sense of energy with the injection of Kasey Lansdale's sensibilities.
Following Kasey's introduction to this collection, we are introduced to a woman named Jana, initially in a stand-alone story focused solely on her encounter with the paranormal, before joining Dana's investigations for the final two casebooks. Jana is a bit more my style - she's fun, witty, has a bit of mouth on her, says things without thinking, and is pretty much always in way over her head. Dana, on the other hand, is very reserved and proper, an upper-class sort of personality. Jana is her Watson to Dana's Holmes, and becomes our window into the world of the supernormal for the collection's back-half. Once Kasey and Jana hit the pages, the stories become livelier and Dana finally has a counterpoint, a polar opposite, to act against. The burgeoning friendship between these personalities present an entertaining foil. The last two stories present supernormal threats that are also unabashedly Lovecraftian, which hit a particular sweet spot for me. While Jana presents an airier narrative voice than the stuffier gentleman author transcribing a moneyed ghost hunter's adventures, the introduction of cosmic threats really tickled me, even if the stories still follow the by-now well-established Dana Roberts' Casebook story formula.
All in all, Terror is Our Business: Dana Roberts' Casebook of Horrors is a largely delightful introduction to this investigator, but it took a while for me to connect with the work as a whole. It's not really until the last couple stories that everything began to click for me, and it's clear that Kasey Lansdale's influence was key to the development of Dana Roberts and helped give the series a fresher perspective. I do hope to see more of Dana and Jana, as well as Joe and Kasey as collaborators, in the future though.
[Note: I received an advanced copy of this title from the publisher, Cutting Block Books.]
Inspired by works from Algernon Blackwood, William Hope Hodgson, and the mid-1970s TV series Kolchak: The Night Stalker, Lansdale presents a female investigator who specializes in the supernormal. An atheist (yay! Let's hear it for atheist representation in horror!), Dana does not believe in the supernatural, and believes that there is a scientific explanation for all those things that go bump in the night that we merely do not yet understand.
For the Joe Lansdale stories, the setup is simple - Dana is a guest at a men's club, invited to share a story as a paid speaker. Her stories are transcribed by one of the gentlemen, who includes an intro and outro that each of Dana's stories are couched between. I'm typically not a fan of such framed narratives, but it's a literary tradition Lansdale invokes here, along with a deliberate writing style, to pay homage to those earlier influences. While the stories are well-told, ultimately I found the narratives to be a bit stuffy and old fashioned for my tastes, in addition to formulaic. Each story follows a very episodic three-act format, with its introduction of the characters and the initial problem at hand, some examination of the supernormal conceit, typically a haunting of some sort, followed by a tidy resolution. None of the stories break this mold or shake up the story presentation, although the last three stories do carry a fresher sense of energy with the injection of Kasey Lansdale's sensibilities.
Following Kasey's introduction to this collection, we are introduced to a woman named Jana, initially in a stand-alone story focused solely on her encounter with the paranormal, before joining Dana's investigations for the final two casebooks. Jana is a bit more my style - she's fun, witty, has a bit of mouth on her, says things without thinking, and is pretty much always in way over her head. Dana, on the other hand, is very reserved and proper, an upper-class sort of personality. Jana is her Watson to Dana's Holmes, and becomes our window into the world of the supernormal for the collection's back-half. Once Kasey and Jana hit the pages, the stories become livelier and Dana finally has a counterpoint, a polar opposite, to act against. The burgeoning friendship between these personalities present an entertaining foil. The last two stories present supernormal threats that are also unabashedly Lovecraftian, which hit a particular sweet spot for me. While Jana presents an airier narrative voice than the stuffier gentleman author transcribing a moneyed ghost hunter's adventures, the introduction of cosmic threats really tickled me, even if the stories still follow the by-now well-established Dana Roberts' Casebook story formula.
All in all, Terror is Our Business: Dana Roberts' Casebook of Horrors is a largely delightful introduction to this investigator, but it took a while for me to connect with the work as a whole. It's not really until the last couple stories that everything began to click for me, and it's clear that Kasey Lansdale's influence was key to the development of Dana Roberts and helped give the series a fresher perspective. I do hope to see more of Dana and Jana, as well as Joe and Kasey as collaborators, in the future though.
[Note: I received an advanced copy of this title from the publisher, Cutting Block Books.]
February 16, 2019
Changed from 4 stars to 5- because almost a year later this one still has a sweet spot in my heart and is at the forefront of my memory.
This was my first time reading anything by Joe R. Lansdale, but I assure you, I will be reading more!
I honestly thought these stories were going to give me nightmares, but quite the opposite actually! The strong female roles in this story and the details of how they combatted the supernatural was so impressive and lined up with a lot of occult information, which I always love some truth in a good book, made it that much more believable. I was engrossed in another realm while reading this book.
I LOVED the stories by Joe R. Lansdale, but I must say the stories where he wrote back and forth with his daughter Kasey Lansdale, it is my personal opinion that the stories just got too pro-feminism, like it was pushing way too hard, saying things like whoever said women were the weaker sex... stuff like that just wasn't even mentioned in the first few stories, and I loved that. It made the female characters that much more in their essence of bad-assery. (It tells you who wrote which stories) That is a minor detail though.
I rated this book 4 stars because Joe's stories of the paranormal were told in such an intriguing way, I tried to refrain, as to not read through all them in one night. I read this in 3 days and now crave more Dana Robert's Casebook of Horrors stories written by both of these authors!
I want to thank the Goodreads Giveaway Program, the author, and publisher, for this free print copy which I won. All reviews are my own and voluntary.
This was my first time reading anything by Joe R. Lansdale, but I assure you, I will be reading more!
I honestly thought these stories were going to give me nightmares, but quite the opposite actually! The strong female roles in this story and the details of how they combatted the supernatural was so impressive and lined up with a lot of occult information, which I always love some truth in a good book, made it that much more believable. I was engrossed in another realm while reading this book.
I LOVED the stories by Joe R. Lansdale, but I must say the stories where he wrote back and forth with his daughter Kasey Lansdale, it is my personal opinion that the stories just got too pro-feminism, like it was pushing way too hard, saying things like whoever said women were the weaker sex... stuff like that just wasn't even mentioned in the first few stories, and I loved that. It made the female characters that much more in their essence of bad-assery. (It tells you who wrote which stories) That is a minor detail though.
I rated this book 4 stars because Joe's stories of the paranormal were told in such an intriguing way, I tried to refrain, as to not read through all them in one night. I read this in 3 days and now crave more Dana Robert's Casebook of Horrors stories written by both of these authors!
I want to thank the Goodreads Giveaway Program, the author, and publisher, for this free print copy which I won. All reviews are my own and voluntary.
June 26, 2018
TERROR IS OUR BUSINESS is written by father-daughter team of Joe Lansdale and Kasey Lansdale. They write together well, it felt seamless, and was so fun to read. In this case we get a collection of short stories about our heroine Dana (supernatural super sleuth) and in the final stories we get the PoV of Jana (who’s more sidekick than sleuth). The stories are connected through Dana’s (and eventually Jana’s) retelling of cases to a club that likes to invite speakers. At first members are skeptical, but Dana’s matter-of-fact storytelling compels the listeners to believe her.
It starts with Dana telling the story of strange goings on in a lighthouse that makes the current owner believe it’s haunted. Dana is called in to solve the problem–and she does in her own methodical and clever way. Along for the ride are her assistants Nora and Gary, who must trust in Dana and her abilities–because, ultimately, all of these cases aren’t only dangerous, they can be deadly. Dana explains in her stories how she uses the faith-based items to keep beings from other dimensions from wreaking havoc here. Sure there’s holy water, but there’s also candles made from human fat, blessed powders, ritual verses, salt, graveyard dirt, protective circles, and various instruments of mojo that have power because of the people who believe in them–Dana may not be one of them, but that doesn’t stop her from recognizing their potency. Sure a large part of being successful is research and knowing what you’re fighting, but wits in the face of immanent death is also a large factor.
You’ll get to see demons, revenants, inter-dimensional creatures, and others I don’t want to spoil for you. We get to see a lighthouse, a mansion in Italy, a junkyard in Texas, an underground village, and others. There’s a few minor plot points that I felt were a little contrived, but the storytelling was so fun and the characters so invested that it was hard to care when it’s sufficiently creepy and weird to keep one’s attention. The shorts are all just the right length for the story being told, each moves at a fast clip, never boring, but also never short on the details you need to make the mystery unravel to your satisfaction.
Dana is the main PoV as the boss lady in charge of her business–which pays pretty well, by the way, and family money doesn’t hurt, either. Her interest started when she was a teenager, in a story you’ll get to read. She’s no nonsense, knowledgeable, fearless, and knows her own worth. Dana can be a little stiff at times, but in the final stories Jana is the perfect foil with her jokes and snarky commentary. Here’s hoping we get to see more of Dana and Jana team up in the future.
Recommended Age: 13+
Language: I don't recall any
Violence: Yes, there's blood and death
Sex: Referenced
***Find this and other reviews at ElitistBookReviews.com***
It starts with Dana telling the story of strange goings on in a lighthouse that makes the current owner believe it’s haunted. Dana is called in to solve the problem–and she does in her own methodical and clever way. Along for the ride are her assistants Nora and Gary, who must trust in Dana and her abilities–because, ultimately, all of these cases aren’t only dangerous, they can be deadly. Dana explains in her stories how she uses the faith-based items to keep beings from other dimensions from wreaking havoc here. Sure there’s holy water, but there’s also candles made from human fat, blessed powders, ritual verses, salt, graveyard dirt, protective circles, and various instruments of mojo that have power because of the people who believe in them–Dana may not be one of them, but that doesn’t stop her from recognizing their potency. Sure a large part of being successful is research and knowing what you’re fighting, but wits in the face of immanent death is also a large factor.
You’ll get to see demons, revenants, inter-dimensional creatures, and others I don’t want to spoil for you. We get to see a lighthouse, a mansion in Italy, a junkyard in Texas, an underground village, and others. There’s a few minor plot points that I felt were a little contrived, but the storytelling was so fun and the characters so invested that it was hard to care when it’s sufficiently creepy and weird to keep one’s attention. The shorts are all just the right length for the story being told, each moves at a fast clip, never boring, but also never short on the details you need to make the mystery unravel to your satisfaction.
Dana is the main PoV as the boss lady in charge of her business–which pays pretty well, by the way, and family money doesn’t hurt, either. Her interest started when she was a teenager, in a story you’ll get to read. She’s no nonsense, knowledgeable, fearless, and knows her own worth. Dana can be a little stiff at times, but in the final stories Jana is the perfect foil with her jokes and snarky commentary. Here’s hoping we get to see more of Dana and Jana team up in the future.
Recommended Age: 13+
Language: I don't recall any
Violence: Yes, there's blood and death
Sex: Referenced
***Find this and other reviews at ElitistBookReviews.com***
May 31, 2018
I received this book for free from the Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.The nitty-gritty: A slightly uneven but entertaining collection that is made better by the relationship between Dana and Jana.
It’s been years since I’ve read anything by Joe R. Lansdale, and so when I was offered the chance to read his latest collection, co-authored with his daughter Kasey, I didn’t hesitate to say “yes.” Terror is Our Business is a collection of short stories featuring Lansdale’s character Dana Roberts, an investigator of “supernormal” activity. In short, Dana is a ghostbuster of sorts, going from one haunted place to another, trying to rid houses and other places of evil and ghostly forces. I’m not familiar with the original source material, but after doing a little investigating of my own, it looks like this is the first time these stories have been collected together.
The first four stories are written by Joe R. Lansdale and are all told in a similar style and format. About halfway through the book, Kasey Lansdale enters the picture with a brief introduction, followed by three somewhat lengthy stories written by both father and daughter, which include a new character named Jana who becomes, almost by accident, Dana Roberts’ sidekick—or as Kasey describes her, a Watson-like character to Dana’s Sherlock Holmes.
The book is neatly divided between these two story styles and there is a distinct change in tone once you get to Kasey’s stories. Papa Lansdale’s tales are formal, eerie and frightening, with a hint of Lovecraftian horror to them. The format in all four of his stories is much the same: An unidentified narrator describes how the infamous Dana Roberts has been invited to his men’s club to entertain the group. In this case, the entertainment is in the form of storytelling. Dana sits in her comfy chair at the center of the room, sips her drink and launches into the tale of her latest case. The room holds their collective breaths as she relates the terrifying events, and at the end of the evening, everyone in the room is clamoring for another story. Because the format of these stories is so similar, it does get a bit repetitive, as Dana has to remind her audience each time why she calls herself a supernormal investigator (as opposed to “supernatural”). But considering these tales were written at different times, and Lansdale does take the time in his introduction to advise the reader NOT to read them all at once, you really can’t fault them for this.
I enjoyed Joe Lansdale’s stories, which make our heroine Dana Roberts out to be a cool-as-a-cucumber woman who is well versed in a variety of evil entities and how to eliminate them from our dimension. But as I mentioned, when Kasey joins forces with her father, the entire tone changes. The later stories are narrated by Jana, an unkempt, unorganized and slightly off-putting woman who just happened to have a weird experience of her own, and ended up becoming Dana’s assistant. Jana cracks jokes at inappropriate moments and talks too much, and she knows she is the polar opposite of Dana, who wears designer clothes and fights evil in stiletto heels. Meanwhile, Jana shows up to work in sweats and t-shirts, her hair a mess. She is also prone to making the reader uncomfortable (well, at least she made me uncomfortable!) by talking about such things as her constipation and describing her own breasts as “titties.” This crass behavior did not endear her to me, unfortunately, although I did find some of her antics laugh out loud funny.
What worked really well for me was the relationship between the two women, who are clearly at opposite ends of the social spectrum. Dana is rich, Jana is not. Dana is beautiful and charismatic, while Jana can barely get herself dressed and out the door each morning. Together they somehow manage to fight the forces of evil while making the reader laugh. They don’t really like each other, but deep down I could tell they respected each other, despite their differences. Jana knows she isn’t anywhere near the put-together woman that Dana is, but she’s clever and smart and I got the feeling that Dana knows she needs Jana’s help.
Oddly, I think my favorite story of the bunch was also the weirdest. “Blind Love” is Jana’s only solo tale, and it happens before she meets Dana. A friend of Jana’s talks her into going to an “Eye Gazing Party,” which is like speed dating except you gaze into the other person’s eyes for a couple of minutes, trying to make a connection. It was ridiculous and over-the-top, and I loved it.
I love the idea of a father/daughter collaboration, and I think the Lansdales have something good going. Although this collection overall was a bit uneven for me, I’m happy to have glimpsed the weird and dangerous world of Dana Roberts.
Big thanks to the publisher for supplying a review copy.This review originally appeared on Books, Bones & Buffy
It’s been years since I’ve read anything by Joe R. Lansdale, and so when I was offered the chance to read his latest collection, co-authored with his daughter Kasey, I didn’t hesitate to say “yes.” Terror is Our Business is a collection of short stories featuring Lansdale’s character Dana Roberts, an investigator of “supernormal” activity. In short, Dana is a ghostbuster of sorts, going from one haunted place to another, trying to rid houses and other places of evil and ghostly forces. I’m not familiar with the original source material, but after doing a little investigating of my own, it looks like this is the first time these stories have been collected together.
The first four stories are written by Joe R. Lansdale and are all told in a similar style and format. About halfway through the book, Kasey Lansdale enters the picture with a brief introduction, followed by three somewhat lengthy stories written by both father and daughter, which include a new character named Jana who becomes, almost by accident, Dana Roberts’ sidekick—or as Kasey describes her, a Watson-like character to Dana’s Sherlock Holmes.
The book is neatly divided between these two story styles and there is a distinct change in tone once you get to Kasey’s stories. Papa Lansdale’s tales are formal, eerie and frightening, with a hint of Lovecraftian horror to them. The format in all four of his stories is much the same: An unidentified narrator describes how the infamous Dana Roberts has been invited to his men’s club to entertain the group. In this case, the entertainment is in the form of storytelling. Dana sits in her comfy chair at the center of the room, sips her drink and launches into the tale of her latest case. The room holds their collective breaths as she relates the terrifying events, and at the end of the evening, everyone in the room is clamoring for another story. Because the format of these stories is so similar, it does get a bit repetitive, as Dana has to remind her audience each time why she calls herself a supernormal investigator (as opposed to “supernatural”). But considering these tales were written at different times, and Lansdale does take the time in his introduction to advise the reader NOT to read them all at once, you really can’t fault them for this.
I enjoyed Joe Lansdale’s stories, which make our heroine Dana Roberts out to be a cool-as-a-cucumber woman who is well versed in a variety of evil entities and how to eliminate them from our dimension. But as I mentioned, when Kasey joins forces with her father, the entire tone changes. The later stories are narrated by Jana, an unkempt, unorganized and slightly off-putting woman who just happened to have a weird experience of her own, and ended up becoming Dana’s assistant. Jana cracks jokes at inappropriate moments and talks too much, and she knows she is the polar opposite of Dana, who wears designer clothes and fights evil in stiletto heels. Meanwhile, Jana shows up to work in sweats and t-shirts, her hair a mess. She is also prone to making the reader uncomfortable (well, at least she made me uncomfortable!) by talking about such things as her constipation and describing her own breasts as “titties.” This crass behavior did not endear her to me, unfortunately, although I did find some of her antics laugh out loud funny.
What worked really well for me was the relationship between the two women, who are clearly at opposite ends of the social spectrum. Dana is rich, Jana is not. Dana is beautiful and charismatic, while Jana can barely get herself dressed and out the door each morning. Together they somehow manage to fight the forces of evil while making the reader laugh. They don’t really like each other, but deep down I could tell they respected each other, despite their differences. Jana knows she isn’t anywhere near the put-together woman that Dana is, but she’s clever and smart and I got the feeling that Dana knows she needs Jana’s help.
Oddly, I think my favorite story of the bunch was also the weirdest. “Blind Love” is Jana’s only solo tale, and it happens before she meets Dana. A friend of Jana’s talks her into going to an “Eye Gazing Party,” which is like speed dating except you gaze into the other person’s eyes for a couple of minutes, trying to make a connection. It was ridiculous and over-the-top, and I loved it.
I love the idea of a father/daughter collaboration, and I think the Lansdales have something good going. Although this collection overall was a bit uneven for me, I’m happy to have glimpsed the weird and dangerous world of Dana Roberts.
Big thanks to the publisher for supplying a review copy.This review originally appeared on Books, Bones & Buffy
August 13, 2023
Una raccolta di racconti del soprannaturale o, come dice Dana la detective protagoniste delle sette storie, del "sopranormale" che spaziano da case infestate a demoni vendicativi passando per fantasmi, alieni e chi più ne ha più ne metta.
Il tono e lo stile sono quelli tipici di Lansdale, a cui ben si accompagnano i tre racconti scritti con la figlia, sempre ironico, a tratti grottesco e con punte di horror davvero degne di nota!
Una nota di biasimo per la traduzione del titolo: da "Il terrore è il nostro mestiere" a "Non aprite quella morta" la differenza - anche sostanziale - è davvero tanta.
3 stelline e mezzo
Il tono e lo stile sono quelli tipici di Lansdale, a cui ben si accompagnano i tre racconti scritti con la figlia, sempre ironico, a tratti grottesco e con punte di horror davvero degne di nota!
Una nota di biasimo per la traduzione del titolo: da "Il terrore è il nostro mestiere" a "Non aprite quella morta" la differenza - anche sostanziale - è davvero tanta.
3 stelline e mezzo
May 1, 2018
These are great stories! They are just the right amount of creepy and get closed off perfectly for me to be able to sleep at night. Jana's character is awesome and brings some nice humor.
May 7, 2019
I’ve been reading the work of the great Joe R. Lansdale for what will seem to some of you youngsters like an unthinkable breadth of time; pushing four decades now. He’s an author who sings to my set of interests more than almost any other, dipping his prolific pen into the wells of many genres, including western, science fiction, horror, and crime, with many of his finest works such as The Thicket, The Bottoms, and Edge of Dark Water embracing heavy literary elements and revealing him to be one of the finest authors dark fiction to ever set his words to paper. Because Lansdale is a natural-born storyteller, the kind of guy who could sit around the cook fire regaling listeners with his quiet Texas eloquence. So color me intrigued when I learned of Terror is Our Business: Dana Roberts’ Casebook of Horrors. For one thing, it’s a collaboration, something I’ve rarely seen Joe do, and that I’ve heard he’s resistant to; and for another, it’s a family co-action jointly created by him and his daughter Kasey Lansdale, an ultra-talented singer-songwriter, author, and actor, to name just a few of the endeavors she’s involved with.
In Terror is Our Business, the Lansdales take on the trope of the paranormal investigator, first introducing the Dana Roberts character with four previously published yarns written by Joe, then culminating in a final three stories penned by both him and Kasey. Dana is a hard-to-like character who thinks of herself as a “supernormal” investigator, believing there are unexplained phenomena and events in this world but attributing them to some currently undiscovered science rather than anything supernatural. The thing about her is she’s by design an uptight, arrogant, and slightly snobbish person – riffing on Holmes, I think – and it is somewhat difficult to care about her until Jana comes along, adding a necessary down-to-earth counterpoint and injecting a wry sense of humor and a bit of delightfully snarky, rebellious attitude, painting the persona of Dana in a whole new light. Seeing her through the eyes of a complete polar opposite makes her somehow more knowable and relatable than she is early on in the book.
You can read Shane's entire review at Horror DNA by clicking here.
In Terror is Our Business, the Lansdales take on the trope of the paranormal investigator, first introducing the Dana Roberts character with four previously published yarns written by Joe, then culminating in a final three stories penned by both him and Kasey. Dana is a hard-to-like character who thinks of herself as a “supernormal” investigator, believing there are unexplained phenomena and events in this world but attributing them to some currently undiscovered science rather than anything supernatural. The thing about her is she’s by design an uptight, arrogant, and slightly snobbish person – riffing on Holmes, I think – and it is somewhat difficult to care about her until Jana comes along, adding a necessary down-to-earth counterpoint and injecting a wry sense of humor and a bit of delightfully snarky, rebellious attitude, painting the persona of Dana in a whole new light. Seeing her through the eyes of a complete polar opposite makes her somehow more knowable and relatable than she is early on in the book.
You can read Shane's entire review at Horror DNA by clicking here.
May 25, 2018
I have read a bit of Lansdale before, but this was a horse of a different color, as the saying goes.
Terror Is Our Business is a collection of stories featuring supernatural (*ahem* excuse me, supernormal) investigator Dana Roberts and her assistant Jana as they battle weird and strange beings that creep, haunt, and disturb the natural world. She’ll tell you all about why she prefers the term “supernormal” in the book. Believe me, you can’t miss it.
I was a little put off by the first few stories, which are only told from Dana’s perspective, as she is a very dry and almost dull storyteller—just tells the facts as they are without offering anything that makes the story all that interesting. This felt to be a stylistic choice on the author’s part, but it just made the stories a bit forgettable and boring to me.
But when Jana is introduced, things get spicier. Jana is everything Dana isn’t—outgoing, funny, inventive, messy, daring, wild, and very descriptive. She is also a much more relatable character for the reader. Once the stories are told from her perspective, we get to see what she thinks of uptight, egotistical Dana, and I have to say I always agreed with her assessment. As a force against evil, they make a good team and the stories were much more fun after that.
I think I would have enjoyed this collection more overall, but it felt very formulaic to me, the basic plot of all the stories going something like: things go bump in the night, they research and investigate, set up some protections, and vanquish the evil. I would have liked to see a bit more variation, but perhaps if they continue writing these stories, there can be some continuity and depth that is brought into the overall plot.
My favorite story was definitely the Jana standalone story “Blind Love.” It varied the most from all the other stories and I had no idea how it was going to turn out. It was kooky, a bit gory, and a unique and interesting tale told by a great female character.
My thanks to Smith Publicity and Cutting Block Books for sending the Nightworms copies of this book to read and review!
Terror Is Our Business is a collection of stories featuring supernatural (*ahem* excuse me, supernormal) investigator Dana Roberts and her assistant Jana as they battle weird and strange beings that creep, haunt, and disturb the natural world. She’ll tell you all about why she prefers the term “supernormal” in the book. Believe me, you can’t miss it.
I was a little put off by the first few stories, which are only told from Dana’s perspective, as she is a very dry and almost dull storyteller—just tells the facts as they are without offering anything that makes the story all that interesting. This felt to be a stylistic choice on the author’s part, but it just made the stories a bit forgettable and boring to me.
But when Jana is introduced, things get spicier. Jana is everything Dana isn’t—outgoing, funny, inventive, messy, daring, wild, and very descriptive. She is also a much more relatable character for the reader. Once the stories are told from her perspective, we get to see what she thinks of uptight, egotistical Dana, and I have to say I always agreed with her assessment. As a force against evil, they make a good team and the stories were much more fun after that.
I think I would have enjoyed this collection more overall, but it felt very formulaic to me, the basic plot of all the stories going something like: things go bump in the night, they research and investigate, set up some protections, and vanquish the evil. I would have liked to see a bit more variation, but perhaps if they continue writing these stories, there can be some continuity and depth that is brought into the overall plot.
My favorite story was definitely the Jana standalone story “Blind Love.” It varied the most from all the other stories and I had no idea how it was going to turn out. It was kooky, a bit gory, and a unique and interesting tale told by a great female character.
My thanks to Smith Publicity and Cutting Block Books for sending the Nightworms copies of this book to read and review!
June 13, 2019
Terror is Our Business is a short story collection written by father-daughter team Joe R. Lansdale and Kasey Lansdale. The first couple stories are by Joe and center around the character Dana Roberts. These stories follow a setup where Dana the "supernormal" investigator is a guest at this (kinda) men's club and tells stories. The collection gets a lot livelier when Kasey begins contributing and introduces the witty Jana to balance out Dana's seriousness. The stories also drop the "guest at a meeting" format and go right into the narrative, which I preferred.
The first part of this collection is very dry. Dana doesn't feel fully fleshed out as a character and those stories end with a few "mic drop" moments that ultimately don't feel earned. The addition of Jana works wonders to the pace and the character of Dana.
Perfect for fans of the X-Files (Dana has a Scully thing going on) and the Ghosts in the Burbs podcast.
The first part of this collection is very dry. Dana doesn't feel fully fleshed out as a character and those stories end with a few "mic drop" moments that ultimately don't feel earned. The addition of Jana works wonders to the pace and the character of Dana.
Perfect for fans of the X-Files (Dana has a Scully thing going on) and the Ghosts in the Burbs podcast.
July 1, 2018
Terror is Our Business was a late Father's Day gift, which is sort of appropriate as it features a collaboration between a father and child-in this case author Joe Lansdale and his daughter Kasey. I'll be honest I did not like this book at first. One thing that I feel is Joe's big strength as a writer is his ear for dialogue, and Dana Roberts is a far cry from the type of character I am used to seeing from him, so that talent is not really on display as much as I'd like. Dana is a very sober, stiff, and not particularly likable character-if you cut your teeth on Hap and Leonard you may find her a little off putting. Happily things start to flow better as the book progresses and it becomes a lot of fun to read. This is the first time I have read anything Kasey Lansdale has written but she is arguably a chip off the old block-she definitely brings something to the table.
May 30, 2018
For lovers of American Horror Story, Terror is Our Business is a collection of short stories written by a father-daughter duo: Joe and Kasey Lansdale. The stories follow the heroine of supernatural investigators, Dana Roberts. The setting is a club which members come monthly to chat and have snacks. Dana Roberts is invited to the club to speak, maybe tell one of her famous ghost stories. Her story is moving and believable; she is invited to come back.
Each time Roberts returns to tell a story, readers transport to her investigation and discover terrifying interdimensional beings and circumstances.
In the fifth story, readers are introduced to a new character: Jana. With a spooky and inexpiable experience in her past, she shows up to one of Robert’s talks out of curiosity. Jana tells Dana Roberts about what happened, and it just so happens that Dana is in need for a new assistant for an upcoming job. The two women team up and develop a humorous dynamic and unstoppable expertise.
I am typically not a fan of the horror genre, but these short stories were a fun, spooky incorporation to my nightly reading. A quick ghost story before bed can be quite thrilling. The editing needs some work, but I will let that slide because this was an advanced reading copy and not a final publication.
Each time Roberts returns to tell a story, readers transport to her investigation and discover terrifying interdimensional beings and circumstances.
In the fifth story, readers are introduced to a new character: Jana. With a spooky and inexpiable experience in her past, she shows up to one of Robert’s talks out of curiosity. Jana tells Dana Roberts about what happened, and it just so happens that Dana is in need for a new assistant for an upcoming job. The two women team up and develop a humorous dynamic and unstoppable expertise.
I am typically not a fan of the horror genre, but these short stories were a fun, spooky incorporation to my nightly reading. A quick ghost story before bed can be quite thrilling. The editing needs some work, but I will let that slide because this was an advanced reading copy and not a final publication.
June 22, 2018
I received this book from the publicity company in exchange for a review, this in no way changes my views and all of the words below are my own.
Dana Roberts has no time for nonsense, and ghost, demon or monster "catching" is a no nonsense business. The "supernormal" are real, and while not entirely understood, they can be control and sometimes destroyed. That's exactly what Dana does between writing books, having classy drinks, and looking like a supermodel.
First and foremost I would not consider this horror! It's a good book, but if being creeped out or scared is what you are looking for this one is more of a beginner's horror or a YA book. Secondly I love that this book is by a father daughter duo. Co-written books can be scary for readers because the writing styles can be drastically different and ruin a book, but here they complimented each other and made it better. With that said, the first part of the book was written only by Joe R. Lansdale and I enjoyed it less than the second half where both he and Kasey were writing. Unfortunately that is the main reason for only 4 stars. The second half could have probably qualified for 5 stars in my books, but the rest was too slow paced and a bit dry for me. The first part was about Dana and other assistants, then the second half was about her assistant, Jana, mentioned in the books description.
I enjoyed Jana's character morethan Dana but they came together to make a fantastic duo. I was anticipating this book being structured like a crime show, where it is the same characters crime (or in this case supernormal) fighting but different plot lines with each story. Again the second half met that expectation perfectly, but the first was Dana telling the stories in a different way (trying to avoid spoilers here).
The actual supernormal brings were unique and written with descriptions that made picturing them super easy. Both authors did a great job of bringing up background of all the creatures, and how Dana and Jana came face to face with them.
My only other issue is a superficial one; I don't like the cover. The person on the front (I presume it is Dana) looks like a different art style than the rest. I like the background, and the back cover, but her and the colouring of the pentagram seem too cartoony for the rest of the vibe.
Overall I'd love to read more about these two characters working together.
Dana Roberts has no time for nonsense, and ghost, demon or monster "catching" is a no nonsense business. The "supernormal" are real, and while not entirely understood, they can be control and sometimes destroyed. That's exactly what Dana does between writing books, having classy drinks, and looking like a supermodel.
First and foremost I would not consider this horror! It's a good book, but if being creeped out or scared is what you are looking for this one is more of a beginner's horror or a YA book. Secondly I love that this book is by a father daughter duo. Co-written books can be scary for readers because the writing styles can be drastically different and ruin a book, but here they complimented each other and made it better. With that said, the first part of the book was written only by Joe R. Lansdale and I enjoyed it less than the second half where both he and Kasey were writing. Unfortunately that is the main reason for only 4 stars. The second half could have probably qualified for 5 stars in my books, but the rest was too slow paced and a bit dry for me. The first part was about Dana and other assistants, then the second half was about her assistant, Jana, mentioned in the books description.
I enjoyed Jana's character morethan Dana but they came together to make a fantastic duo. I was anticipating this book being structured like a crime show, where it is the same characters crime (or in this case supernormal) fighting but different plot lines with each story. Again the second half met that expectation perfectly, but the first was Dana telling the stories in a different way (trying to avoid spoilers here).
The actual supernormal brings were unique and written with descriptions that made picturing them super easy. Both authors did a great job of bringing up background of all the creatures, and how Dana and Jana came face to face with them.
My only other issue is a superficial one; I don't like the cover. The person on the front (I presume it is Dana) looks like a different art style than the rest. I like the background, and the back cover, but her and the colouring of the pentagram seem too cartoony for the rest of the vibe.
Overall I'd love to read more about these two characters working together.
June 13, 2018
(Thank you to Cutting Block Books & Smith Publicity for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review!)
Terror is our Business is a collection of stories featuring Dana Roberts, a superNORMAL (I'll get to that in a minute) investigator & her quirky assistant Jana. It's a little bit X-Files, a little bit Supernatural. Except with two females, which was rad!
This did take me awhile to get into, as Dana seemed a bit stiff & pretentious. I get that she was a serious character, but I didn't find myself all that interested in her. She felt repetitive at times, especially when describing what she does. Honestly, that was my biggest complaint. There was far too much repetition. Dana continued again & again to explain about being supernormal. OKAY DANA, TELL ME AGAIN I DON'T THINK I UNDERSTOOD THE FIRST 97 TIMES! We get it. You don't believe in the supernatural. BUT WHY DO YOU HAVE TO EXPLAIN IT TO US IN DETAIL EVERY SINGLE FUCKING TIME?! It got old really fast.
The book started to pick up around the middle, when Kasey's character Jana is introduced. She shook things up & added some much-needed humor! It was nice seeing things from her POV. Jana is much more style! Once she enters the picture, the cases start to become more fun & the book moves at a quicker pace. For sure, my favorite part of the book was the friendship between the two women. They certainly have a Sherlock/Watson vibe!
During the Introduction, Joe suggests reading these stories one at a time. One a day, one a week, etc. Well.. I'm a gobbler, Joe! I ended up reading the stories consecutively. I'm not sure if it would have been a different reading experience for me or not, but overall this was a good collection. It was clear that Joe & his daughter Kasey had a lot of fun writing these stories & I look forward to reading more from the duo!
Terror is our Business is a collection of stories featuring Dana Roberts, a superNORMAL (I'll get to that in a minute) investigator & her quirky assistant Jana. It's a little bit X-Files, a little bit Supernatural. Except with two females, which was rad!
This did take me awhile to get into, as Dana seemed a bit stiff & pretentious. I get that she was a serious character, but I didn't find myself all that interested in her. She felt repetitive at times, especially when describing what she does. Honestly, that was my biggest complaint. There was far too much repetition. Dana continued again & again to explain about being supernormal. OKAY DANA, TELL ME AGAIN I DON'T THINK I UNDERSTOOD THE FIRST 97 TIMES! We get it. You don't believe in the supernatural. BUT WHY DO YOU HAVE TO EXPLAIN IT TO US IN DETAIL EVERY SINGLE FUCKING TIME?! It got old really fast.
The book started to pick up around the middle, when Kasey's character Jana is introduced. She shook things up & added some much-needed humor! It was nice seeing things from her POV. Jana is much more style! Once she enters the picture, the cases start to become more fun & the book moves at a quicker pace. For sure, my favorite part of the book was the friendship between the two women. They certainly have a Sherlock/Watson vibe!
During the Introduction, Joe suggests reading these stories one at a time. One a day, one a week, etc. Well.. I'm a gobbler, Joe! I ended up reading the stories consecutively. I'm not sure if it would have been a different reading experience for me or not, but overall this was a good collection. It was clear that Joe & his daughter Kasey had a lot of fun writing these stories & I look forward to reading more from the duo!
January 21, 2024
Purtroppo mi sento quasi costretta a dare tre stelle a questo libro anche se credo dipenda da una mia fase molto critica, oltre che dalla delusione dovuta all’aver scoperto solo dopo aver iniziato che si trattasse di racconti.
Detto ciò, ho trovato carinissima l’idea della collaborazione tra Lansdale padre e Lansdale figlia in parte di questi m, in cui si incontrano e collaborano le due protagoniste.
Ho trovato Dana, la protagonista dei primi, alquanto fastidiosa, un po’ troppo con la puzza sotto al naso per poter svolgere il mestiere di cacciatrice del sopranormale, termine che è dovuto ad una sua ipotesi che condivido, secondo cui non si tratta di soprannaturale ma solo di qualcosa che a oggi non sappiamo spiegarci in base alle conoscenze che possediamo, ma che un domani potremmo.
Le storie che le donne raccontano non hanno creato in me un gran terrore devo dire, a parte un po’ di suspense nella prima, ma quelli di Jana, in particolare quello del muro e quello del fantasma di stracci, mi hanno convinta di più, perché c’è una motivazione costruita dietro agli avvenimenti e non semplicemente dei fenomeni paranormali.
Detto ciò, ho trovato carinissima l’idea della collaborazione tra Lansdale padre e Lansdale figlia in parte di questi m, in cui si incontrano e collaborano le due protagoniste.
Ho trovato Dana, la protagonista dei primi, alquanto fastidiosa, un po’ troppo con la puzza sotto al naso per poter svolgere il mestiere di cacciatrice del sopranormale, termine che è dovuto ad una sua ipotesi che condivido, secondo cui non si tratta di soprannaturale ma solo di qualcosa che a oggi non sappiamo spiegarci in base alle conoscenze che possediamo, ma che un domani potremmo.
Le storie che le donne raccontano non hanno creato in me un gran terrore devo dire, a parte un po’ di suspense nella prima, ma quelli di Jana, in particolare quello del muro e quello del fantasma di stracci, mi hanno convinta di più, perché c’è una motivazione costruita dietro agli avvenimenti e non semplicemente dei fenomeni paranormali.
Want to read
November 10, 2022Incipit
Immagino si possa dire che è una specie di associazione, ma ci piace pensarlo come un club, e non uno di quelli frequentati da soli uomini.
Continua su Incipitmania
Immagino si possa dire che è una specie di associazione, ma ci piace pensarlo come un club, e non uno di quelli frequentati da soli uomini.
Continua su Incipitmania
April 1, 2023
Sorry Joe for the 1 star
January 18, 2025
Davvero brutto
August 3, 2018
I received Terror Is Our Business: Dana Roberts' Casebook of Horrors from Smith Publicity earlier this summer in exchange for an honest review. I wasn't entirely sure what to expect as I have never read Joe Lansdale's work before and also had no idea that he is a fairly well known and at- large writer in the horror genre, some say ideas are similar to Stephen King's. I'm so very glad I was given the chance to read this book because what I got from Joe Lansdale and his daughter Kasey was a wonderfully well written collection of short stories featuring Dana Roberts and her somewhat of a sidekick, Jana. Honestly, after the first short story I was definitely hooked!
*
Like I said, I wasn't sure what to think at first, especially with 'horror' in the title - it's not a genre I generally pursue. However, after reading the first short story, titled - The Case of the Lighthouse Shambler which is an introduction story to Dana Roberts character and just Joe Lansdale's story I was really pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed his writing and the story itself which didn't end up being very 'horror' driven, it was more paranormal and supernatural to me. I was eager to keep reading the rest!
*
So, Dana Roberts is a character created by Joe Lansdale, who is very much like Sherlock while Jana (Does she have a last name? I don't know) is a character created by Kasey Lansdale, who is very much like Watson. It even says in a little intro before one of the short stories that they used that famous pair as a basis for their characters. So in this collection of short stories there are tales of Dana Roberts, Supernormal Investigator, on her own as well as a short story of Jana being introduced to the supernatural (or 'supernormal') world which leads to her discovery of Dana Roberts.
*
I love the stories of both ladies on their own, especially Jana's standalone - it's real creepy - in a good way! However, having both ladies interact in stories where they are partners is super satisfying. The sarcastic humor and banter between them is so on point. I actually laughed out loud during one of their conversations and that's usually a GOOD sign that I am falling in love with the writing!
*
As I was reading these stories I got vibes from other authors I've read and TV shows I've watched. To sum that up I think these stories along with their concepts are a good mix between Canadian author Kelley Armstrong's novels and Netflix's Stranger Things. I had some goosebumps reading some of the stories because they had concepts that I'm really interested in. For example, in Stranger Things - the parallel universe called 'The Upside Down', yeah, there's something similar in one of these stories and the feeling while reading about it was so haunting!
*
Every short story was unique. Whether it was Dana's or Jana's story, I never felt bored or uninterested in what I was reading and was genuinely interested in the development and characters. I read somewhere that it was a good idea to take a few hours or a day in between each short to give it time to sink in but I was too invested in the writing to wait that long and usually read a couple of stories back to back.
*
Sometimes I have an issue with short stories too - mostly being just that - they're too short for my liking. However, I think Joe and Kasey did a wonderful job of writing an enticing and satisfying story with the limited amount of pages they used. So, coming from someone who doesn't prefer short story collections this rated really high for me!
*
YES! I would definitely recommend to anyone who likes supernatural or paranormal type of stories. Also, if you like short stories. This was also very action packed and witty. The writing is superb and will leave you wanting Joe and Kasey to collaborate again! I am so thankful that Smith Publicity sent this to me in exchange for a review because I definitely hope to be checking out more of the Lansdale's work in the future!
*
Like I said, I wasn't sure what to think at first, especially with 'horror' in the title - it's not a genre I generally pursue. However, after reading the first short story, titled - The Case of the Lighthouse Shambler which is an introduction story to Dana Roberts character and just Joe Lansdale's story I was really pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed his writing and the story itself which didn't end up being very 'horror' driven, it was more paranormal and supernatural to me. I was eager to keep reading the rest!
*
So, Dana Roberts is a character created by Joe Lansdale, who is very much like Sherlock while Jana (Does she have a last name? I don't know) is a character created by Kasey Lansdale, who is very much like Watson. It even says in a little intro before one of the short stories that they used that famous pair as a basis for their characters. So in this collection of short stories there are tales of Dana Roberts, Supernormal Investigator, on her own as well as a short story of Jana being introduced to the supernatural (or 'supernormal') world which leads to her discovery of Dana Roberts.
*
I love the stories of both ladies on their own, especially Jana's standalone - it's real creepy - in a good way! However, having both ladies interact in stories where they are partners is super satisfying. The sarcastic humor and banter between them is so on point. I actually laughed out loud during one of their conversations and that's usually a GOOD sign that I am falling in love with the writing!
*
As I was reading these stories I got vibes from other authors I've read and TV shows I've watched. To sum that up I think these stories along with their concepts are a good mix between Canadian author Kelley Armstrong's novels and Netflix's Stranger Things. I had some goosebumps reading some of the stories because they had concepts that I'm really interested in. For example, in Stranger Things - the parallel universe called 'The Upside Down', yeah, there's something similar in one of these stories and the feeling while reading about it was so haunting!
*
Every short story was unique. Whether it was Dana's or Jana's story, I never felt bored or uninterested in what I was reading and was genuinely interested in the development and characters. I read somewhere that it was a good idea to take a few hours or a day in between each short to give it time to sink in but I was too invested in the writing to wait that long and usually read a couple of stories back to back.
*
Sometimes I have an issue with short stories too - mostly being just that - they're too short for my liking. However, I think Joe and Kasey did a wonderful job of writing an enticing and satisfying story with the limited amount of pages they used. So, coming from someone who doesn't prefer short story collections this rated really high for me!
*
YES! I would definitely recommend to anyone who likes supernatural or paranormal type of stories. Also, if you like short stories. This was also very action packed and witty. The writing is superb and will leave you wanting Joe and Kasey to collaborate again! I am so thankful that Smith Publicity sent this to me in exchange for a review because I definitely hope to be checking out more of the Lansdale's work in the future!
April 19, 2018
Dana Roberts is a paranormal, or as she likes to call it supernormal, investigator. She is invited to be a guest speaker to a club, where she tells them about different investigations she has done. Some stories are not told in the club.
The stories are both creepy and interesting, I didn't want to put it down once I started reading. Even though each story had it's own setting and feel to it, it turned into a cohesive book. I really liked how most of the stories had a title starting with "The Case of the" it really made it like you were reading about things that actually happened.
The Case of the Lighthouse Shambler is the first short story, it is where we are introduced to the club and Dana. I really enjoyed how this wasn't your typical haunted lighthouse story, the descriptions put me right next to Dana as the investigation unfolded.
The Case of the Stalking Shadow might keep you out of the woods for awhile or at least away from oddly shaped trees, literally gave me goosebumps while reading because I love walking in the woods... probably won't be doing that for awhile because this story really stuck with me.
The Case of the Four Acre Haunt is definitely not a story to read while you're alone in your house at night you will jump at every noise you hear, I know I did. Humans can be the most evil things, even after their death.
The Case of the Angry Traveler has to be my favorite story in the whole book. If you think alligators in the sewer is scary read this story and it will change your mind. I like the city under a city idea it gave a claustrophobic feeling to the setting and made me wonder what is really under the places we walk through everyday.
Blind Love is an unexpected story in this book. Dana wasn't looking for an investigation in this, the supernormal found her. It was interesting how the paranormal aspect played out in this, and even though it involved speed dating I found myself enjoying it.
The Case of the Bleeding Wall drew me in from the beginning. Investigating a haunted house is very exciting and humorous.
The Case of the Ragman's Anguish, this novella was one of those edge of your seat stories.
Overall this is a great collection of stories and novellas. They all have solid characters, interesting story lines, and the perfect amount of suspense.
The stories are both creepy and interesting, I didn't want to put it down once I started reading. Even though each story had it's own setting and feel to it, it turned into a cohesive book. I really liked how most of the stories had a title starting with "The Case of the" it really made it like you were reading about things that actually happened.
The Case of the Lighthouse Shambler is the first short story, it is where we are introduced to the club and Dana. I really enjoyed how this wasn't your typical haunted lighthouse story, the descriptions put me right next to Dana as the investigation unfolded.
The Case of the Stalking Shadow might keep you out of the woods for awhile or at least away from oddly shaped trees, literally gave me goosebumps while reading because I love walking in the woods... probably won't be doing that for awhile because this story really stuck with me.
The Case of the Four Acre Haunt is definitely not a story to read while you're alone in your house at night you will jump at every noise you hear, I know I did. Humans can be the most evil things, even after their death.
The Case of the Angry Traveler has to be my favorite story in the whole book. If you think alligators in the sewer is scary read this story and it will change your mind. I like the city under a city idea it gave a claustrophobic feeling to the setting and made me wonder what is really under the places we walk through everyday.
Blind Love is an unexpected story in this book. Dana wasn't looking for an investigation in this, the supernormal found her. It was interesting how the paranormal aspect played out in this, and even though it involved speed dating I found myself enjoying it.
The Case of the Bleeding Wall drew me in from the beginning. Investigating a haunted house is very exciting and humorous.
The Case of the Ragman's Anguish, this novella was one of those edge of your seat stories.
Overall this is a great collection of stories and novellas. They all have solid characters, interesting story lines, and the perfect amount of suspense.
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