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Dark Tide Mysteries and Thrillers #5
Monsters: We’re All a Little Different
Monsters and monster-killers come in all shapes and sizes in this collection of three horror novellas by Glenn Rolfe, Tom Deady, and Nick Kolakowski.
IT CAME FROM THE LAKE by Glenn Rolfe: Owens Lake is protected by a reclusive war vet by the name of Francis Owens, but this man is not the only threat around.
When Leilani runs away from the nicest foster home she’s ever known, she winds up two hours north in a town called Belgrade. It isn’t scary—boring, maybe—but the town appears peaceful and slow.
Quincy appreciates that serene quiet, and has his own hideaway from life in one of the empty cabins surrounding Owens Lake. He knows about Francis, but facing a crazy vet is nothing compared to his old man.
These two teens’ paths cross when they discover there’s something else to this particular body of water…
It Came from the Lake is the latest horror from the imagination of Glenn Rolfe, author of August’s Eyes and Blood and Rain.
IN THE GLASTENBURY WOODS by Tom Deady: It was supposed to be the road trip to end all road trips. The summer of 1986, a few weeks before Dave and his two friends went their separate ways to college and the military. One last hurrah to Toronto to see Hulk Hogan and the rest of the WWF in The Big Event. It all goes wrong when they take a detour through Vermont’s notorious Glastenbury Woods. There’s something in the forest, and it’s out for blood. But Dave has another reason for the trip, and he doesn’t plan on letting anyone, or anything, get in his way.
GROUNDHOG SLAY by Nick Kolakowski: It’s the summer of 1987. Around Lake Legionnaire, locals whisper tales of an unstoppable monster rampaging through the night, killing everyone in its way. But what if the monster’s just trying to stop something far worse—a threat that could destroy all existence? “Groundhog Slay” shows that not all heroes wear capes: sometimes they wear creepy masks, and they’re a little bit too skilled with a chainsaw…
This book is perfect for fans of monsters, slasher movies, classic horror, mystery and suspense fiction, small town horror, and thrillers.
Crystal Lake’s Dark Tide series will continue soon with more tales of Mystery Thrillers and Horror Books, including themes of Weird Western, Sherlock Holmes, Grief Horror, Body Horror, Mystery fiction, Travel Horror, Deadly Duos, and Psychological Thriller books.
Proudly represented by Crystal Lake Publishing—Tales from the Darkest Depths.
IT CAME FROM THE LAKE by Glenn Rolfe: Owens Lake is protected by a reclusive war vet by the name of Francis Owens, but this man is not the only threat around.
When Leilani runs away from the nicest foster home she’s ever known, she winds up two hours north in a town called Belgrade. It isn’t scary—boring, maybe—but the town appears peaceful and slow.
Quincy appreciates that serene quiet, and has his own hideaway from life in one of the empty cabins surrounding Owens Lake. He knows about Francis, but facing a crazy vet is nothing compared to his old man.
These two teens’ paths cross when they discover there’s something else to this particular body of water…
It Came from the Lake is the latest horror from the imagination of Glenn Rolfe, author of August’s Eyes and Blood and Rain.
IN THE GLASTENBURY WOODS by Tom Deady: It was supposed to be the road trip to end all road trips. The summer of 1986, a few weeks before Dave and his two friends went their separate ways to college and the military. One last hurrah to Toronto to see Hulk Hogan and the rest of the WWF in The Big Event. It all goes wrong when they take a detour through Vermont’s notorious Glastenbury Woods. There’s something in the forest, and it’s out for blood. But Dave has another reason for the trip, and he doesn’t plan on letting anyone, or anything, get in his way.
GROUNDHOG SLAY by Nick Kolakowski: It’s the summer of 1987. Around Lake Legionnaire, locals whisper tales of an unstoppable monster rampaging through the night, killing everyone in its way. But what if the monster’s just trying to stop something far worse—a threat that could destroy all existence? “Groundhog Slay” shows that not all heroes wear capes: sometimes they wear creepy masks, and they’re a little bit too skilled with a chainsaw…
This book is perfect for fans of monsters, slasher movies, classic horror, mystery and suspense fiction, small town horror, and thrillers.
Crystal Lake’s Dark Tide series will continue soon with more tales of Mystery Thrillers and Horror Books, including themes of Weird Western, Sherlock Holmes, Grief Horror, Body Horror, Mystery fiction, Travel Horror, Deadly Duos, and Psychological Thriller books.
Proudly represented by Crystal Lake Publishing—Tales from the Darkest Depths.
203 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 9, 2022
20 people are currently reading
3091 people want to read
About the author
Glenn Rolfe
72 books630 followersGlenn Rolfe is a singer, songwriter, and author of over eighteen books. He has studied Creative Writing at Southern New Hampshire University, toured in a minivan with his punk rock friends, played the Hard Rock Cafe in Denver, hosted a radio show at Bates College, and dreams of surfing in the Pacific Ocean one day with his future pet goat.
He loves the books of Stephen King, Brian Keene, Ronald Malfi, Jack Ketchum, and Richard Laymon, the music of Bruce Springsteen, Oasis, Pre-Reputation Taylor Swift, Kiss, and Billy Joel, and soaking in the sun and eating pier fries at Old Orchard Beach.
His kids love him despite his weirdness, so who could ask for more?
He is hard at work on many more books and songs.
Stay tuned!
He is the author of When the Night Falls, Until Summer Comes Around, August's Eyes, Blood and Rain, The Window, and more. Stay tuned for his next thrilling Maine horror novel, The Siren of Groves Peak (2026)
Richard Chizmar, New York Times and USA Today Best Selling-Author of Gwendy’s Button Box, says of Rolfe’s Blood and Rain: “A wonderful throwback to the fun and bloody days of paperback horror glory!”
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
December 14, 2022
Being that I've purchased a couple of these Dark Tide series books from Crystal Lake already, when I was offered the chance to read one that isn't yet available, I jumped at the opportunity. With these three authors, how could anyone go wrong?
The first novella by Glenn Rolfe: IT CAME FROM THE LAKE was a lot of fun, if a bit predictable. Who doesn't love a good "monster in the lake" story?
Tom Deady's contribution: IN THE GLASTENBURY WOODS was another entertaining tale about a group of young men on one last road trip before separating for college and the military. Here's a tip for them that all of us horror fans already know, do NOT ever take detours or shortcuts through the woods. (Or go camping, for that matter, what's wrong with you people?)
Lastly, Nick Kolakowski's story GROUNDHOG SLAY. Nick is a new-to-me author and this tale blew me away. First off, great wordplay as the title. Second, what a unique idea! Picture Jason Vorhees, (though that name is never used), waking up every day like Bill Murray does in Groundhog Day. Same stuff, same day. Every day. That's all I'll say about this one because it was surprising and I want you to be surprised too.
Overall, this is a pleasing volume featuring a few up-and-coming authors, two of whom I've read and enjoyed previously, and one new-to-me author that really knocked my socks off! For these reasons, I highly recommend this trio of novellas!
Available December 15th!
*Thank you to Joe at Crystal Lake and to Tom Deady for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest feedback. This is it!*
The first novella by Glenn Rolfe: IT CAME FROM THE LAKE was a lot of fun, if a bit predictable. Who doesn't love a good "monster in the lake" story?
Tom Deady's contribution: IN THE GLASTENBURY WOODS was another entertaining tale about a group of young men on one last road trip before separating for college and the military. Here's a tip for them that all of us horror fans already know, do NOT ever take detours or shortcuts through the woods. (Or go camping, for that matter, what's wrong with you people?)
Lastly, Nick Kolakowski's story GROUNDHOG SLAY. Nick is a new-to-me author and this tale blew me away. First off, great wordplay as the title. Second, what a unique idea! Picture Jason Vorhees, (though that name is never used), waking up every day like Bill Murray does in Groundhog Day. Same stuff, same day. Every day. That's all I'll say about this one because it was surprising and I want you to be surprised too.
Overall, this is a pleasing volume featuring a few up-and-coming authors, two of whom I've read and enjoyed previously, and one new-to-me author that really knocked my socks off! For these reasons, I highly recommend this trio of novellas!
Available December 15th!
*Thank you to Joe at Crystal Lake and to Tom Deady for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest feedback. This is it!*
January 4, 2023
I've been enjoying the Dark Tide series, with a different theme and different authors for each volume. With Book FIve's theme of Monsters I'm expecting to be thrilled in the same way that a good horror film satisfies. The first entry did not disappoint me.
IT CAME FROM THE LAKE by Glenn Rolfe is very cinematic in it's pacing and descriptive visuals, and would make for a good monster movie. Beyond the standard monster-in-the-woods tropes is a collection of side stories and interesting characters to make the reader more invested in everyone's plight. The monster is like a cross between Swamp Thing and Bigfoot and has an unusual and disgusting way of draining and dispatching it's victims.
All the activity takes place around Owens Lake and the surrounding woods. In addition to the stalking monstrosity, there's property owner Henry Owens who's a bit too friendly with the female staff at his business office. He may have picked the wrong person to bother. His brother Francis is a PTSD-ravaged Vietnam vet who's been charged with protecting the lake and property and takes his assignment way too seriously. Kristin Owens suspects her husband of cheating and hires private detective Maddox to gather enough evidence to win a divorce case. He's definitely skilled at investigating but his integrity is not as spot-on. Young Leilani is a runaway from her foster home who wanders into the wrong woods. Quincey is a local teenager, victim of an abusive father who often escapes to the lake for needed solitude. He just picked the wrong day to go there.
FOUR STARS.
IN THE GLASTENBURY WOODS by Tom Deady The story does not keep readers waiting long before foreshadowing events, and from there the suspense just builds and builds. Well done. Three high school grads returning from a celebratory road trip and taking a seriously wrong turn. Would make a perfect movie. I appreciate how the monster is not fully described, and just viewed by the characters in glimpses. That makes it even scarier. A satisfactory ending. I enjoyed this. FOUR STARS.
GROUNDHOG SLAY by Nick Kolakowski is the most original and off-beat story in the trio, and my personal favorite. This takes a little spin off of the popular Groundhog Day film. Just imagine the funny and likable Bill Murray being replaced by Jason Voorhees, and then falling into a time loop where he relives a single day - - wake up, kill with machete, be killed, wake up, start over again with several variations including some familiar victims and adversaries, and then rinse and repeat.
The story takes a science-fiction turn before long, and this evolves into an action tale a la James Bond with a brilliant but evil scientist behind the chaos. Who doesn't enjoy a story where the monster gets to be a hero? FOUR STARS.
IT CAME FROM THE LAKE by Glenn Rolfe is very cinematic in it's pacing and descriptive visuals, and would make for a good monster movie. Beyond the standard monster-in-the-woods tropes is a collection of side stories and interesting characters to make the reader more invested in everyone's plight. The monster is like a cross between Swamp Thing and Bigfoot and has an unusual and disgusting way of draining and dispatching it's victims.
All the activity takes place around Owens Lake and the surrounding woods. In addition to the stalking monstrosity, there's property owner Henry Owens who's a bit too friendly with the female staff at his business office. He may have picked the wrong person to bother. His brother Francis is a PTSD-ravaged Vietnam vet who's been charged with protecting the lake and property and takes his assignment way too seriously. Kristin Owens suspects her husband of cheating and hires private detective Maddox to gather enough evidence to win a divorce case. He's definitely skilled at investigating but his integrity is not as spot-on. Young Leilani is a runaway from her foster home who wanders into the wrong woods. Quincey is a local teenager, victim of an abusive father who often escapes to the lake for needed solitude. He just picked the wrong day to go there.
FOUR STARS.
IN THE GLASTENBURY WOODS by Tom Deady The story does not keep readers waiting long before foreshadowing events, and from there the suspense just builds and builds. Well done. Three high school grads returning from a celebratory road trip and taking a seriously wrong turn. Would make a perfect movie. I appreciate how the monster is not fully described, and just viewed by the characters in glimpses. That makes it even scarier. A satisfactory ending. I enjoyed this. FOUR STARS.
GROUNDHOG SLAY by Nick Kolakowski is the most original and off-beat story in the trio, and my personal favorite. This takes a little spin off of the popular Groundhog Day film. Just imagine the funny and likable Bill Murray being replaced by Jason Voorhees, and then falling into a time loop where he relives a single day - - wake up, kill with machete, be killed, wake up, start over again with several variations including some familiar victims and adversaries, and then rinse and repeat.
The story takes a science-fiction turn before long, and this evolves into an action tale a la James Bond with a brilliant but evil scientist behind the chaos. Who doesn't enjoy a story where the monster gets to be a hero? FOUR STARS.
November 28, 2022
Monsters: We're All A Little Different is a solid little collection of three novellas from authors Glenn Rolfe, Tom Deady, and Nick Kolakowski. Although each are united by the common theme of deadly horror monsters, this fifth entry in Crystal Lake Publishing's Dark Tide series certainly lives up to its subtitle with each story presenting decidedly different takes on the subject at hand.
Up first is Rolfe's It Came From the Lake, a nicely done riff on the lake monster trope. Rolfe opens his story with a catchy hook involving a husband and wife ridding themselves of the body of her sexually abusive boss, Henry Owens, whom they've just murdered. Little do they know, but all that fresh blood in the water has just attracted the Nietzsche Anathema, the subject of local cryptid legend. Drawn to the shores of this lake, too, are PI Maddox, hired by Mrs. Owens to track down her philandering husband, some local teens seeking an escape from the mundane and a place of refuge in the abandoned summer cabins, and Owen's mentally disturbed Vietnam vet brother. It Came From the Lake is a fun bit of escapism, but there's a little too much going on for such a slender story. Still, it is pretty damn enjoyable and features a lake monster at its core, which is one of my favorite tropes, so I can't complain too loudly. It's been a while since I've read Rolfe's work and I've been hankering to get back to him, so this was an entertaining return to an author I've enjoyed previously and who presents a fine form here, too.
In the Glastenbury Woods, by Tom Deady, follows another classic horror trope, this time involving a group of teenagers lost off the highway of some small podunk town. On their way home from a Hulkamania match, they stop to buy beer (*gasp* underage, no less!) but fail to heed the gas station attendant's warnings about the local urban legend. He's faced off against the creature, or creatures, in the woods and lived to tell the tale. But will these kids be so lucky? And what's up with that super-shady cop eyeballing them as they leave? Hmmm... Deady's story was positively engrossing and he slowly, steadily, and masterfully ramps up the tension, escalating events and driving his characters toward their violent ends. It's a terrific novella, and I appreciated Deady's decision to keep the nature of his monster hidden from readers. All we know is that his monster is not Bigfoot, and is maybe something that's only a few rungs below us on the evolutionary ladder. Whatever it is does not ultimately matter and that not knowing, in my mind, makes it all the more frightening and effective. It could be anything, or something entirely new and heretofore unheard of, but it certainly further reinforces my predisposition to stay the hell out of the woods regardless.
Nick Kowlakowski is half-demented, half-brilliant, two characteristics I love and admire in an author. His beautifully titled Groundhog Slay lets you know the gist of his story right off the bat. Kowlakowski takes the movie slasher monster and tweaks it ever so slightly by crossbreeding his story with Bill Murray's Groundhog Day time loop premise. The result is a highly intriguing, oftentimes batshit crazy, story that serves as a sort of meta examination of why horror movie slashers never stay dead and return for sequel after sequel after sequel. The best part is, it's all told from the POV of our nameless camp counselor killer, who immediately awakens after each of his brutal demises and resurfaces from the depths of Lake Legionnaire. Forced to live out the same day ad infinitum, the slasher is forced to confront his own inner demons as he seeks to find peace. At least until he's killed by the very Lansdaleian-named ammosexual cowboy cum drive-in movie theater operator, Joe Bubba Leonard, and is forced to confront the end of the multiverse. Wait, what?! I really can't be effusive enough in my praise for Groundhog Slay. Conceptually, it bears some small resemblances to Paul Michael Anderson's multiversal slash story, Standalone, but Kowlakowski charts a decidedly different and unique path that his Groundhog Slay is wholly its own genius-level beast and the originality presented here is wonderfully refreshing. It's a rare Big Idea slasher story that is wickedly sharp in concept, humor, and execution. Kowlakowski takes a big swing with this one and hits it right out of the park, using an everything but the kitchen sink approach to the narrative, and it just works (and gleefully so, at that!).
Monsters showcases a surprisingly wide breadth of monster mayhem stories across its three novellas. It's also one of those few oddball collections that not only starts off strong, but somehow manages to get better and better with each successive story.
Up first is Rolfe's It Came From the Lake, a nicely done riff on the lake monster trope. Rolfe opens his story with a catchy hook involving a husband and wife ridding themselves of the body of her sexually abusive boss, Henry Owens, whom they've just murdered. Little do they know, but all that fresh blood in the water has just attracted the Nietzsche Anathema, the subject of local cryptid legend. Drawn to the shores of this lake, too, are PI Maddox, hired by Mrs. Owens to track down her philandering husband, some local teens seeking an escape from the mundane and a place of refuge in the abandoned summer cabins, and Owen's mentally disturbed Vietnam vet brother. It Came From the Lake is a fun bit of escapism, but there's a little too much going on for such a slender story. Still, it is pretty damn enjoyable and features a lake monster at its core, which is one of my favorite tropes, so I can't complain too loudly. It's been a while since I've read Rolfe's work and I've been hankering to get back to him, so this was an entertaining return to an author I've enjoyed previously and who presents a fine form here, too.
In the Glastenbury Woods, by Tom Deady, follows another classic horror trope, this time involving a group of teenagers lost off the highway of some small podunk town. On their way home from a Hulkamania match, they stop to buy beer (*gasp* underage, no less!) but fail to heed the gas station attendant's warnings about the local urban legend. He's faced off against the creature, or creatures, in the woods and lived to tell the tale. But will these kids be so lucky? And what's up with that super-shady cop eyeballing them as they leave? Hmmm... Deady's story was positively engrossing and he slowly, steadily, and masterfully ramps up the tension, escalating events and driving his characters toward their violent ends. It's a terrific novella, and I appreciated Deady's decision to keep the nature of his monster hidden from readers. All we know is that his monster is not Bigfoot, and is maybe something that's only a few rungs below us on the evolutionary ladder. Whatever it is does not ultimately matter and that not knowing, in my mind, makes it all the more frightening and effective. It could be anything, or something entirely new and heretofore unheard of, but it certainly further reinforces my predisposition to stay the hell out of the woods regardless.
Nick Kowlakowski is half-demented, half-brilliant, two characteristics I love and admire in an author. His beautifully titled Groundhog Slay lets you know the gist of his story right off the bat. Kowlakowski takes the movie slasher monster and tweaks it ever so slightly by crossbreeding his story with Bill Murray's Groundhog Day time loop premise. The result is a highly intriguing, oftentimes batshit crazy, story that serves as a sort of meta examination of why horror movie slashers never stay dead and return for sequel after sequel after sequel. The best part is, it's all told from the POV of our nameless camp counselor killer, who immediately awakens after each of his brutal demises and resurfaces from the depths of Lake Legionnaire. Forced to live out the same day ad infinitum, the slasher is forced to confront his own inner demons as he seeks to find peace. At least until he's killed by the very Lansdaleian-named ammosexual cowboy cum drive-in movie theater operator, Joe Bubba Leonard, and is forced to confront the end of the multiverse. Wait, what?! I really can't be effusive enough in my praise for Groundhog Slay. Conceptually, it bears some small resemblances to Paul Michael Anderson's multiversal slash story, Standalone, but Kowlakowski charts a decidedly different and unique path that his Groundhog Slay is wholly its own genius-level beast and the originality presented here is wonderfully refreshing. It's a rare Big Idea slasher story that is wickedly sharp in concept, humor, and execution. Kowlakowski takes a big swing with this one and hits it right out of the park, using an everything but the kitchen sink approach to the narrative, and it just works (and gleefully so, at that!).
Monsters showcases a surprisingly wide breadth of monster mayhem stories across its three novellas. It's also one of those few oddball collections that not only starts off strong, but somehow manages to get better and better with each successive story.
January 10, 2023
Honestly? I didn't expect to like MONSTERS as much as I did. But, turns out I loved it. Especially Tom Deady and Nick Kolakowski's stories.
These weren't just monster stories of old. These had heart, they were funny, but most of all they were well written.
Great stuff. Great addition to the series.
These weren't just monster stories of old. These had heart, they were funny, but most of all they were well written.
Great stuff. Great addition to the series.
December 21, 2022
Is it appropriate to devour an anthology called “Monsters”? The answer is definitely yes. The three stories are gripping. Glenn Rolfe revisits a classic, the creature in the lake, to spine-chilling effect. We really want these kids to survive, believe me! Tom Deady takes another road: the winding detour in the woods, complete with a creepy cop and clueless boys who maybe hadn’t read enough scary stories. Nick Kolakowski, in his contribution, is on a mission to prove that monsters can save the world, if they’re properly motivated. I especially enjoyed the Phantom of the Opera half-mask. Every supernatural creature needs one. This is a super cool anthology.
January 10, 2023
Another entry in the Dark Tide series books from Crystal Lake Publishing, the fifth to be exact, and it’s becoming clear already that, today, this is the best horror anthology series all around! Three outstanding authors pen one story each, with a common theme; this time, it’s about monsters, namely creatures, human or otherwise, that make camping in the woods, swimming in the lake and/or going to summer camp a hellish nightmare, in the 1980s movie sense. First, we get a novella by Glenn Rolfe, ‘It Came From the Lake,’ which is exactly what it says and delivers precisely what you’d guess: a monster claiming victims by the lake. However, Rolfe has populated his story with lots of interesting characters and many intriguing storylines: cheating husbands, private detectives, youngsters who run away from home, and war vets who’ve gone haywire. What was very appealing to me, was how Rolfe managed to implicate all his characters in the monster story without losing control of the narrative. Next, we have Tom Deady’s ‘In the Glastenbury Woods,’ a creepy Bigfoot-style story about three friends taking a shortcut in the woods while trying to save themselves from a figure of authority. That was a rather strange tale, whose great merit rests on Deady’s masterful use of suspense: it’s never clear what’s going on, and the human element in the story is quite moving. This should definitely be read to be enjoyed fully! Finally, there’s an amazing story by Nick Kolakowski, ‘Groundhog Slay.’ An obvious play on ‘Groundhog Day,’ it features a Jason Vorhees-type of killer who has to go through all his typical actions till he gets killed, then start over again and redo them. Definitely the best story of the trio, the most original and the most pleasing; actually, the premise felt so natural, it was like something that should have been conceived long ago. Still, if there’s anything that detracts from the story, it’s the sudden sci-fi element invading the narrative in the second part, explaining the time-loop. But that’s strictly my personal complaint, and should in no way be taken seriously: I enjoyed the story immensely and recommend it highly to anyone who wants to experience what the Dark Tide series is all about!
December 29, 2022
“Impending doom replaced every particle of oxygen.”
In Glenn Rolfe’s “It Came from the Lake,” Maddox is hired by the wife of a sleazy businessman to find her missing husband. As he comes closer to closing the case, he has a life changing encounter with a lake monster.
***
“Talking about hospitals brought images of Bennie, stick thin and bald in his hospital room. I pushed them away.”
Tom Deady’s “In the Glastenbury Woods” features three friends who encounter a Bigfoot-like creature while on a road trip. Protagonist Dave simply wants to survive so he can give his sick little brother a pick-me-up present.
***
“Every so often, the local police await me here, their high-powered rifles ready to fill me with enough lead to turn me into a paperweight.”
Nick Kolakowski’s stellar story “Groundhog Slay” is a whole lot of fun with a Jason-like camp counselor slasher called the Lake Man who has been stuck in a time loop so many times that instead of killing, he wants to find inner peace.
In Glenn Rolfe’s “It Came from the Lake,” Maddox is hired by the wife of a sleazy businessman to find her missing husband. As he comes closer to closing the case, he has a life changing encounter with a lake monster.
***
“Talking about hospitals brought images of Bennie, stick thin and bald in his hospital room. I pushed them away.”
Tom Deady’s “In the Glastenbury Woods” features three friends who encounter a Bigfoot-like creature while on a road trip. Protagonist Dave simply wants to survive so he can give his sick little brother a pick-me-up present.
***
“Every so often, the local police await me here, their high-powered rifles ready to fill me with enough lead to turn me into a paperweight.”
Nick Kolakowski’s stellar story “Groundhog Slay” is a whole lot of fun with a Jason-like camp counselor slasher called the Lake Man who has been stuck in a time loop so many times that instead of killing, he wants to find inner peace.
December 20, 2022
Mixed feelings
I liked the first two stories. Action packed and suspenseful. I didn't like the last story at all. Felt it did not have a place in this book. Just didn't go with the flow of the first two.
I liked the first two stories. Action packed and suspenseful. I didn't like the last story at all. Felt it did not have a place in this book. Just didn't go with the flow of the first two.
December 13, 2022
What can you say about a book with these three authors? Read it!!
A great addition to the Dark Tide series. Glenn Rolfe knocked it out of the park with this one.
A great addition to the Dark Tide series. Glenn Rolfe knocked it out of the park with this one.
December 13, 2022
Long decades spent devouring Horror in fiction and film have mitigated my admittedly excessive startle reflex. I still get scared, but it's become rare to discover something that is SO SCARY i have to put aside till daytime, something I can't read till falling asleep, because I'm TOO TOO TOO TERRIFIED TO TURN THE NEXT PAGE!!!
Right now, I am experiencing that level of Terror because I've read [mostly in the Daylight now] the newest Dark Tide offering, #5, MONSTERS, and the frightened Inner Child has devolved into a gibbering imbecile. Scared senseless...will I ever recover my equilibrium (and forever avoid the Woods)?
Right now, I am experiencing that level of Terror because I've read [mostly in the Daylight now] the newest Dark Tide offering, #5, MONSTERS, and the frightened Inner Child has devolved into a gibbering imbecile. Scared senseless...will I ever recover my equilibrium (and forever avoid the Woods)?
January 20, 2023
I’m definitely the audience for Monsters: We’re All a Little Different, an anthology with three novellas from authors Glenn Rolfe, Tom Deady, and Nick Kolakowski. All three stories deliver on what the title promises: monsters. Each one is fast-paced, and besides familial content restrictions, they would be great for a YA reader wanting to check out adult horror. The subtitle hints at the outsider status felt by many young horror fans and might be considered a calling for those inclined to darker entertainment. The three-novella format has gained popularity over the years and works as effectively as the editing and sequencing involved, and this one works well.
You can read Stephen McClurg's full review at Horror DNA by clicking here.
You can read Stephen McClurg's full review at Horror DNA by clicking here.
March 3, 2023
Bangers only in this one. All great and enjoyable. A classic lake monster romp with a twist. A road trip monster with a twist. And perhaps my favorite an insane pastiches of all the Friday the 13th movies with a killer title.
December 11, 2022
Nick Kolakowski has blended two very distinct creations here in Groundhog Slay and crafted something rather unique in the process. Parts that had me laughing out loud at times, which, as I’ve always said, is fucking hard to do and nothing but a bonus. ‘The best way to surprise a redneck hunter is to kick his sister in the jaw’ indeed. Go forth, seek out, purchase and enjoy. Tell ‘em another fan of Bill Murray and Jason Vorhees sent you.
March 31, 2023
It Came from the Lake by Glenn Rolfe
The story is set around Owens Lake and the surrounding woods and centres around property owner, Henry Owens and his brother, Francis, a Vietnam vet with PTSD, as well as Leilani, a troubled teen and Quincey, another teen with his own family issues. This is classically written horror, fast-paced, edge of the seat stuff with an original monster concept. 4 out of 5 stars
In the Glastenbury Woods by Tom Deady
The almost classic tale of 3 students taking a road trip but before you know it, things go awry! The story hits you between the eyes almost from the get-go, giving you just enough background story before introducing the horror elements. This has movie deal written all over it; descriptive enough to allow the story to flow, but holds back enough to allow the reader to form the image of the monster in their own heads. 4 out of 5 stars
Groundhog Slay by Nick Kolakowski
Personally, my favourite of the 3 stories, without wishing to take anything away from the other 2 tales, which were thoroughly enjoyable!
Imagine becoming conscious in a lake stuck in a loop of wake, emerge, kill, be killed and repeat. This is cleverly written to detail different nuances and interactions between victims and foes each time the story is reset, to become (eventually) a story where you question who is actually the real monster of the piece?
The concept, originality and horror / nod to sci-fi all crash together to make a glorious piece of fiction. 5 stars out of 5
The story is set around Owens Lake and the surrounding woods and centres around property owner, Henry Owens and his brother, Francis, a Vietnam vet with PTSD, as well as Leilani, a troubled teen and Quincey, another teen with his own family issues. This is classically written horror, fast-paced, edge of the seat stuff with an original monster concept. 4 out of 5 stars
In the Glastenbury Woods by Tom Deady
The almost classic tale of 3 students taking a road trip but before you know it, things go awry! The story hits you between the eyes almost from the get-go, giving you just enough background story before introducing the horror elements. This has movie deal written all over it; descriptive enough to allow the story to flow, but holds back enough to allow the reader to form the image of the monster in their own heads. 4 out of 5 stars
Groundhog Slay by Nick Kolakowski
Personally, my favourite of the 3 stories, without wishing to take anything away from the other 2 tales, which were thoroughly enjoyable!
Imagine becoming conscious in a lake stuck in a loop of wake, emerge, kill, be killed and repeat. This is cleverly written to detail different nuances and interactions between victims and foes each time the story is reset, to become (eventually) a story where you question who is actually the real monster of the piece?
The concept, originality and horror / nod to sci-fi all crash together to make a glorious piece of fiction. 5 stars out of 5
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January 28, 2023Gshsgs
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 2, 2023
Great book! It has two of my favorite authors, Glenn Rolfe and Tom Deady. I'm usually a fan of novels, but the stories in this book have depth, and the characters are well thought.
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