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The Graveyard Shift
When a horror-loving radio show becomes the stage of a gruesome murder, its host Tinsel Monroe is put next on the killer's list…
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Tinsel Munroe's dream of working in radio hasn’t turned out to be everything she hoped it would. Sure, she has her own show – the aptly titled The Graveyard Shift – where she celebrates the sounds of horror-cinema. It’s a pop cultural oasis for the niche audience she has cultivated, but the wage is barely enough to cover her rent and the midnight hours are putting a strain on her relationship with tattooist boyfriend, Zack. After three years at Melbourne’s coolest station, she’s seemingly no closer to a prime-time slot.
That is, until someone is murdered live on air.
Mistaking it for a Halloween prank at first, a visit from police informs Tinsel that the hysterical call was, in fact, the real deal. She is freaked out by the horrible incident, but her true-crime obsessed sister Pandora is fascinated by it.
While detectives assure them the killer will soon be caught, the bodies continue to drop with the killer striking at locations tied to Australian film history in increasingly gruesome ways. With a growing, macabre audience to her radio show, that potentially includes the killer, Tinsel begins receiving strange messages over the text lines. Her home and her workplace suddenly aren’t the sanctuaries she once thought they were.
Tinsel and her sister are left no choice but to team up with Detective James as they race to find the connection between her and the culprit. The people she thought she could trust are now those she should fear the most. In order to survive, Tinsel is going to have to listen to more than just the airwaves…
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Tinsel Munroe's dream of working in radio hasn’t turned out to be everything she hoped it would. Sure, she has her own show – the aptly titled The Graveyard Shift – where she celebrates the sounds of horror-cinema. It’s a pop cultural oasis for the niche audience she has cultivated, but the wage is barely enough to cover her rent and the midnight hours are putting a strain on her relationship with tattooist boyfriend, Zack. After three years at Melbourne’s coolest station, she’s seemingly no closer to a prime-time slot.
That is, until someone is murdered live on air.
Mistaking it for a Halloween prank at first, a visit from police informs Tinsel that the hysterical call was, in fact, the real deal. She is freaked out by the horrible incident, but her true-crime obsessed sister Pandora is fascinated by it.
While detectives assure them the killer will soon be caught, the bodies continue to drop with the killer striking at locations tied to Australian film history in increasingly gruesome ways. With a growing, macabre audience to her radio show, that potentially includes the killer, Tinsel begins receiving strange messages over the text lines. Her home and her workplace suddenly aren’t the sanctuaries she once thought they were.
Tinsel and her sister are left no choice but to team up with Detective James as they race to find the connection between her and the culprit. The people she thought she could trust are now those she should fear the most. In order to survive, Tinsel is going to have to listen to more than just the airwaves…
400 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 12, 2023
55 people are currently reading
1949 people want to read
About the author
Maria Lewis
14 books323 followersMaria Lewis is a AWGIE Award-winning screenwriter, best-selling author, and pop culture etymologist from Australia. She’s the author of the internationally published Supernatural Sisters series of eight books, which includes the Aurealis Award-winning The Witch Who Courted Death, and titles for Marvel (Mockingbird: Strike Out), Assassin's Creed (Daughter Of No One) and forthcoming slasher The Graveyard Shift. As a screenwriter, she has worked across projects for AMC, Netflix, SBS, Ubisoft, ABC, DC Comics and many more. She's the presenter, writer and producer of audio documentaries - The Phantom Never Dies - about the world's first superhero - and Josie and the Podcats - about the 2001 cult film. In 2023, she made her directorial debut with The House That Hungers, based on the Aurealis and Ditmar Award-nominated horror short story of the same name.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 152 reviews
September 29, 2023
4.0 Stars
Video Review: https://youtu.be/DWp3ljyCkIk
This was a highly enjoyable thriller clearly written for fans of the horror genre. Set on Halloween, this is a self aware story packed with references to horror movies and the wider horror culture.
In terms of tone, this novel is very light. The story is heavy in dialogue with a lot of pop culture banter. For this reason, I never felt worried for the characters. I don't think the author was intentionally trying to scare readers so I have no issue there. Just don't expect to be terrified.
Overall this is a really fun thriller that I would highly recommend to fellow horror fans. I think this will appeal to readers who enjoy horror adjacent books by authors like Riley Sager.
Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the publisher
Video Review: https://youtu.be/DWp3ljyCkIk
This was a highly enjoyable thriller clearly written for fans of the horror genre. Set on Halloween, this is a self aware story packed with references to horror movies and the wider horror culture.
In terms of tone, this novel is very light. The story is heavy in dialogue with a lot of pop culture banter. For this reason, I never felt worried for the characters. I don't think the author was intentionally trying to scare readers so I have no issue there. Just don't expect to be terrified.
Overall this is a really fun thriller that I would highly recommend to fellow horror fans. I think this will appeal to readers who enjoy horror adjacent books by authors like Riley Sager.
Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the publisher
November 8, 2023
This was a highly enjoyable thriller & new author for me. I’m not sure where I heard of this book from but so glad I picked it up.
This was l horror/thriller which pays homage to 90s slashers & is full of pop culture references, the writing was humorous & you'll find plenty of geekiness for horror movie fans & music buffs.
Set on Halloween, this is a story full of with references to horror movies & the wider horror culture.
This is a light, campy thriller, not what I would consider horror so don’t go in thinking it will he gory .
I loved this book, such a fun read!
This was l horror/thriller which pays homage to 90s slashers & is full of pop culture references, the writing was humorous & you'll find plenty of geekiness for horror movie fans & music buffs.
Set on Halloween, this is a story full of with references to horror movies & the wider horror culture.
This is a light, campy thriller, not what I would consider horror so don’t go in thinking it will he gory .
I loved this book, such a fun read!
September 22, 2023
This was a pacy horror/thriller which pays homage to 90s slashers and is full of pop culture references , the writing was humorous and self aware, you'll find plenty of geekiness for horror movie and music buffs, I'd say its light hearted horror and felt campy and nostalgic, the plot is slightly predictable but it didn't take away from my enjoyment, I thought it was really unique that this was set in Melbourne?! Is that just me? I feel like I've never read a spooky book set there
September 18, 2023
3.5 stars
The nitty-gritty: Being a radio DJ is a killer job in this lively, bloody and humorous take on slasher movies.
This might be the first horror story I’ve read that revolves around a radio show, and I thought Maria Lewis did a great job of taking the slasher trope and making it fresh and new. And I loved a lot of elements in The Graveyard Shift, but unfortunately some elements fell flat, hence my lower rating. This book was a solid four star read for me until I reached the last couple of chapters, where the story took an unexpected turn that didn’t work for me at all.
Tinsel Munroe works at Melbourne radio station 102.8 HitsFM, and her nighttime radio show The Graveyard Shift has developed a loyal following despite it’s 11:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. time slot. Tinsel’s show pays homage to the horror genre, as she plays both popular and obscure songs from horror movies as well as horror-centric tunes like Monster Mash. On the Halloween night that we first meet Tinsel, she’s running a contest on her show for tickets to the premier of the much anticipated horror movie Band Candy (a Buffy reference, perhaps?) Mera Brant calls in to try to answer Tinsel’s trivia question, but while on the phone Mera is murdered in her apartment. Tinsel thinks Mera’s screams are nothing more than a Halloween prank, but later when the police arrive to get a statement from her, she learns that Mera was actually stabbed to death while on the air.
Tinsel is shattered by this horrible event, but she’s determined to keep her show going, especially when the ratings for The Graveyard Shift take off, a macabre side effect of the on-air murder. A young, handsome detective named Vic James is assigned to the case, and when Tinsel is targeted by the killer, Vic insists on protecting her. And the killer isn’t finished. More dead bodies turn up, all of them seemingly linked to the film business, although the victims don’t seem to fit any particular demographic. As Tinsel and Vic get closer, the danger ramps up, until it gets a little too close to home.
Lewis sets up the tension right out of the gate in an unusual but effective way. The first chapter is from Mera Brandt’s point of view, as she’s in her apartment listening to Tinsel’s show. We see her murder first hand, and then the next chapter jumps to Tinsel in the studio where we “hear” the murder from a completely different point of view. I quite liked this approach, and I thought starting out with a murder was the perfect way to launch this story.
I also loved the radio station setting, and I learned a lot of behind the scenes information about how a radio station is run, with social media being a big part of Tinsel’s job. She’s actually responsible for monitoring the HitsFM twitter account as she’s performing her DJ duties, as well as checking the station’s text messages. (Note: Lewis obviously wrote her story before Twitter changed to X, so it was a bit nostalgic in that respect!) I’ve been a big fan of radio since my pre-teen days, so it was a treat to get a peek inside.
The author fills her story with music references, which isn’t surprising since Tinsel is a radio DJ, but we also get plenty of horror movie trivia. Readers who are familiar with slashers in particular will have fun with all the name dropping, and if you’re Australian, you’ll most likely get a lot of the music references, since the author includes Aussie bands and singers in her story.
Besides Tinsel and Vic, one of the main characters is Tinsel’s sister Pandora, a successful true crime podcaster who proves to be very good at solving crimes. I loved the name of her podcast—Pandora’s Box—and I especially loved the relationship between the two sisters. Both are adopted, and although Tinsel is single and Pandora is married with children, the two share a very close bond.
For the most part, this is a fast-paced, lively and tension-filled story, but the pacing does lag in places. There is a heavy romance element that I wasn’t expecting, so there are several chapters that focus on Tinsel and Vic’s relationship, and this is where the story started to lose me. Honestly, I could have done without the romance, since I was quite happy with the serial killer mystery, although when you get to the end there’s a good reason for the author to include their relationship. Overall, The Graveyard Shift skewed toward the younger side of things. I believe Tinsel is in her mid twenties, and she’s heavily into social media, dating and clubbing, all perfectly normal activities for someone her age, but not all readers are going to connect with her lifestyle.
The biggest negative for me, though, was the ending. Endings can make or break the story for me, and I just didn’t like the ending of The Graveyard Shift. Two things happen at the end that sort of made me mad, and I was left wondering why the author made those choices. This is a mostly upbeat, humorous story, aside from the murders of course, and simply put, the ending was a big downer and didn’t fit the tone of the rest of the story.
Still, there’s a lot to like here, and based all the four and five star reviews on Goodreads, I would give it a shot if you’re a fan of horror movies, popular music and cozy sibling relationships.
Big thanks to the publisher for providing a review copy.
The nitty-gritty: Being a radio DJ is a killer job in this lively, bloody and humorous take on slasher movies.
This might be the first horror story I’ve read that revolves around a radio show, and I thought Maria Lewis did a great job of taking the slasher trope and making it fresh and new. And I loved a lot of elements in The Graveyard Shift, but unfortunately some elements fell flat, hence my lower rating. This book was a solid four star read for me until I reached the last couple of chapters, where the story took an unexpected turn that didn’t work for me at all.
Tinsel Munroe works at Melbourne radio station 102.8 HitsFM, and her nighttime radio show The Graveyard Shift has developed a loyal following despite it’s 11:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. time slot. Tinsel’s show pays homage to the horror genre, as she plays both popular and obscure songs from horror movies as well as horror-centric tunes like Monster Mash. On the Halloween night that we first meet Tinsel, she’s running a contest on her show for tickets to the premier of the much anticipated horror movie Band Candy (a Buffy reference, perhaps?) Mera Brant calls in to try to answer Tinsel’s trivia question, but while on the phone Mera is murdered in her apartment. Tinsel thinks Mera’s screams are nothing more than a Halloween prank, but later when the police arrive to get a statement from her, she learns that Mera was actually stabbed to death while on the air.
Tinsel is shattered by this horrible event, but she’s determined to keep her show going, especially when the ratings for The Graveyard Shift take off, a macabre side effect of the on-air murder. A young, handsome detective named Vic James is assigned to the case, and when Tinsel is targeted by the killer, Vic insists on protecting her. And the killer isn’t finished. More dead bodies turn up, all of them seemingly linked to the film business, although the victims don’t seem to fit any particular demographic. As Tinsel and Vic get closer, the danger ramps up, until it gets a little too close to home.
Lewis sets up the tension right out of the gate in an unusual but effective way. The first chapter is from Mera Brandt’s point of view, as she’s in her apartment listening to Tinsel’s show. We see her murder first hand, and then the next chapter jumps to Tinsel in the studio where we “hear” the murder from a completely different point of view. I quite liked this approach, and I thought starting out with a murder was the perfect way to launch this story.
I also loved the radio station setting, and I learned a lot of behind the scenes information about how a radio station is run, with social media being a big part of Tinsel’s job. She’s actually responsible for monitoring the HitsFM twitter account as she’s performing her DJ duties, as well as checking the station’s text messages. (Note: Lewis obviously wrote her story before Twitter changed to X, so it was a bit nostalgic in that respect!) I’ve been a big fan of radio since my pre-teen days, so it was a treat to get a peek inside.
The author fills her story with music references, which isn’t surprising since Tinsel is a radio DJ, but we also get plenty of horror movie trivia. Readers who are familiar with slashers in particular will have fun with all the name dropping, and if you’re Australian, you’ll most likely get a lot of the music references, since the author includes Aussie bands and singers in her story.
Besides Tinsel and Vic, one of the main characters is Tinsel’s sister Pandora, a successful true crime podcaster who proves to be very good at solving crimes. I loved the name of her podcast—Pandora’s Box—and I especially loved the relationship between the two sisters. Both are adopted, and although Tinsel is single and Pandora is married with children, the two share a very close bond.
For the most part, this is a fast-paced, lively and tension-filled story, but the pacing does lag in places. There is a heavy romance element that I wasn’t expecting, so there are several chapters that focus on Tinsel and Vic’s relationship, and this is where the story started to lose me. Honestly, I could have done without the romance, since I was quite happy with the serial killer mystery, although when you get to the end there’s a good reason for the author to include their relationship. Overall, The Graveyard Shift skewed toward the younger side of things. I believe Tinsel is in her mid twenties, and she’s heavily into social media, dating and clubbing, all perfectly normal activities for someone her age, but not all readers are going to connect with her lifestyle.
The biggest negative for me, though, was the ending. Endings can make or break the story for me, and I just didn’t like the ending of The Graveyard Shift. Two things happen at the end that sort of made me mad, and I was left wondering why the author made those choices. This is a mostly upbeat, humorous story, aside from the murders of course, and simply put, the ending was a big downer and didn’t fit the tone of the rest of the story.
Still, there’s a lot to like here, and based all the four and five star reviews on Goodreads, I would give it a shot if you’re a fan of horror movies, popular music and cozy sibling relationships.
Big thanks to the publisher for providing a review copy.
July 6, 2023
Rounded up from a 2.5
At the start this book was seeming so fun! It was like a much more interesting “Night Shift” by Nora Roberts with genre fan service that was cool to recognize; but as the book went on it really dragged and the “mystery” aspect felt like it was a subplot, which is weird when the book is literally a mystery. I kept wanting the characters to investigate more! find clues! give me twists! Then the ending felt really rushed and out of place. Dialogue was cheesy, the killer reveal was lame, and all aspects of the ending were just so disappointing after all the buildup of the last 400 pages. After awhile everything in this book felt one note and I kept reading hoping it would get the spark back that it had in the first third.
At the start this book was seeming so fun! It was like a much more interesting “Night Shift” by Nora Roberts with genre fan service that was cool to recognize; but as the book went on it really dragged and the “mystery” aspect felt like it was a subplot, which is weird when the book is literally a mystery. I kept wanting the characters to investigate more! find clues! give me twists! Then the ending felt really rushed and out of place. Dialogue was cheesy, the killer reveal was lame, and all aspects of the ending were just so disappointing after all the buildup of the last 400 pages. After awhile everything in this book felt one note and I kept reading hoping it would get the spark back that it had in the first third.
September 13, 2023
I wouldn’t say that this book is a thriller or straight up horror, it’s much more a funny slasher, or maybe it just wasn’t scary to me. It’s partly why I gave it 2 ⭐️, my heart didn’t race once, I wasn’t sad when sad things happened. Yes, sometimes it was funny (thanks Pandora) but that’s it, one character can’t carry the whole book. The ending was so anti-climatic and so predictable, like you can’t convince me that no one saw this coming. However, I would still recommend this to Grady Hendrix and Riley Sager who both wanted more sex scenes in their horror.
December 18, 2023
2.5 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum https://bibliosanctum.com/2023/12/15/...
I was completely enamored with the premise of Maria Lewis’ The Graveyard Shift, which opens with a nightmare inducing scenario: Tinsel Munroe, a horror film buff and host of a late-night horror-themed radio show is taking calls from listeners, when a fan is brutally murdered live on air, her screams and last breaths broadcasted on the airwaves. At first believing it to be a prank (it was Halloween night, after all), Tinsel pays little heed, until the cops show up at her door the next day, revealing the awful truth.
But while the detectives are doing all they can to catch the killer, around the city of Melbourne, people linked to the film industry seem to keep dying. As the number of victims mounts, Tinsel has an uneasy feeling that she may be a target too. After receiving some threatening messages and experiencing a close call outside her home, she is placed under the protection of Detective James, with whom she develops an instant attraction. With the help of her true crime blogging sister Pandora, Tinsel must work with James on a race against the clock to find out what the killer has in store for her.
Straddling the line between mystery and horror, The Graveyard Shift utilizes slasher tropes to great effect, offering a unique take on both genres. The book also delves into the worlds of true crime reporting as well as the radio industry, offering glimpses into the fascinating world of Australian entertainment. That the author herself is a horror film, music, and pop culture enthusiast was evident, as many parts of the book read like a love letter to these elements.
However, there were a lot of things about the novel which didn’t sit quite right with me either. Of these, the most distracting was the pacing. Because I was expecting horror-tinged mystery thriller plot, the focus on the relationship between Tinsel and Detective James took me completely by surprise. It then took me quite a while to adjust to these new expectations, realizing that romance was the third major party in this genre mashup—and that it was here to stay. Once I made peace with that idea, it became much easier to accept the frequent detours away from the main mystery to focus on other less exciting parts of Tinsel’s life.
Yet there were other minor annoyances as well, distracting little questions in the back of my mind that pulled me out of immersion, such as why Tinsel would be left completely alone at a radio station that was supposedly a major one in the city, without even a producer, or why Pandora would ever leave her phone on airplane mode considering the scoopy nature of her job or the fact she’s a parent of young kids who must keep abreast of any emergencies. All these strange particulars simply felt like manufactured obstacles to help the plot. And then there were the sections of the story that I didn’t feel were quite necessary or that dragged on for far too long, like the radio tribute to the first victim (whose relatives were also written way too irreverently, not at all realistic considering their family member was just murdered on air in the most grisly fashion).
Of course, none of these were dealbreakers, and The Graveyard Shift was still highly enjoyable. Ultimately though, the reason why I didn’t rate it higher was because of the ending. I feel like I gave the book a lot of passes because of how interesting and entertaining it was, but I just could not forgive what happened in its conclusion, which seemed to go against the entire tone and spirit of the novel. The ending was, in a word, terrible. Instead of delivering a satisfying payoff, this was the opposite, leaving a bad taste in my mouth, and seemed a very poor way to repay the leniency I afforded the slower parts of the story. I feel cheated because I gave the plot the benefit of the doubt, trusting that my patience would be rewarded, but the author broke that deal in the worst way possible.
In sum, The Graveyard Shift offers an inventive approach to horror and mystery storytelling, but the jarring ending leaves a lingering sense of anger and disappointment. I still can’t believe that happened! While I will not reveal any spoilers here, needless to say, the end severely impacted my enjoyment of an otherwise promising book. I would say read this if it sounds interesting to you because overall at least it was fun, but prepare to be left totally gutted by the end—and don’t say I didn’t warn you.
I was completely enamored with the premise of Maria Lewis’ The Graveyard Shift, which opens with a nightmare inducing scenario: Tinsel Munroe, a horror film buff and host of a late-night horror-themed radio show is taking calls from listeners, when a fan is brutally murdered live on air, her screams and last breaths broadcasted on the airwaves. At first believing it to be a prank (it was Halloween night, after all), Tinsel pays little heed, until the cops show up at her door the next day, revealing the awful truth.
But while the detectives are doing all they can to catch the killer, around the city of Melbourne, people linked to the film industry seem to keep dying. As the number of victims mounts, Tinsel has an uneasy feeling that she may be a target too. After receiving some threatening messages and experiencing a close call outside her home, she is placed under the protection of Detective James, with whom she develops an instant attraction. With the help of her true crime blogging sister Pandora, Tinsel must work with James on a race against the clock to find out what the killer has in store for her.
Straddling the line between mystery and horror, The Graveyard Shift utilizes slasher tropes to great effect, offering a unique take on both genres. The book also delves into the worlds of true crime reporting as well as the radio industry, offering glimpses into the fascinating world of Australian entertainment. That the author herself is a horror film, music, and pop culture enthusiast was evident, as many parts of the book read like a love letter to these elements.
However, there were a lot of things about the novel which didn’t sit quite right with me either. Of these, the most distracting was the pacing. Because I was expecting horror-tinged mystery thriller plot, the focus on the relationship between Tinsel and Detective James took me completely by surprise. It then took me quite a while to adjust to these new expectations, realizing that romance was the third major party in this genre mashup—and that it was here to stay. Once I made peace with that idea, it became much easier to accept the frequent detours away from the main mystery to focus on other less exciting parts of Tinsel’s life.
Yet there were other minor annoyances as well, distracting little questions in the back of my mind that pulled me out of immersion, such as why Tinsel would be left completely alone at a radio station that was supposedly a major one in the city, without even a producer, or why Pandora would ever leave her phone on airplane mode considering the scoopy nature of her job or the fact she’s a parent of young kids who must keep abreast of any emergencies. All these strange particulars simply felt like manufactured obstacles to help the plot. And then there were the sections of the story that I didn’t feel were quite necessary or that dragged on for far too long, like the radio tribute to the first victim (whose relatives were also written way too irreverently, not at all realistic considering their family member was just murdered on air in the most grisly fashion).
Of course, none of these were dealbreakers, and The Graveyard Shift was still highly enjoyable. Ultimately though, the reason why I didn’t rate it higher was because of the ending. I feel like I gave the book a lot of passes because of how interesting and entertaining it was, but I just could not forgive what happened in its conclusion, which seemed to go against the entire tone and spirit of the novel. The ending was, in a word, terrible. Instead of delivering a satisfying payoff, this was the opposite, leaving a bad taste in my mouth, and seemed a very poor way to repay the leniency I afforded the slower parts of the story. I feel cheated because I gave the plot the benefit of the doubt, trusting that my patience would be rewarded, but the author broke that deal in the worst way possible.
In sum, The Graveyard Shift offers an inventive approach to horror and mystery storytelling, but the jarring ending leaves a lingering sense of anger and disappointment. I still can’t believe that happened! While I will not reveal any spoilers here, needless to say, the end severely impacted my enjoyment of an otherwise promising book. I would say read this if it sounds interesting to you because overall at least it was fun, but prepare to be left totally gutted by the end—and don’t say I didn’t warn you.
June 16, 2023
This is to die for! I loved every second and could not put it down. Its a completely original story, very scream or I know what you did last summer vibes but without it just being those films rehashed in book form!
It's got the perfect mix of jump scares and twists. The set up is just perfect and I loved the modern real world references - like to the scream films etc. This book knows what it is and doesn't shy away from it. It's a quick read but really engaging. It's not cliched and the protagonist is a pretty strong character and not some idiot who's running up the stairs when she should be running out the door! And yes, I did just throw in a quote from Scream lol.
It's just all so well written, and easy to get lost in because it is written so realistically. The characters are relatable and I was really rooting for them. It's just awesome, especially for us millennial who grew up on this genre of films
It's got the perfect mix of jump scares and twists. The set up is just perfect and I loved the modern real world references - like to the scream films etc. This book knows what it is and doesn't shy away from it. It's a quick read but really engaging. It's not cliched and the protagonist is a pretty strong character and not some idiot who's running up the stairs when she should be running out the door! And yes, I did just throw in a quote from Scream lol.
It's just all so well written, and easy to get lost in because it is written so realistically. The characters are relatable and I was really rooting for them. It's just awesome, especially for us millennial who grew up on this genre of films
January 24, 2025
⭐️⭐️/5
Interesting premise, however dragged out wayyyy too much for me. The romance sub-plot felt so out of place and detracted from the main story line. Many of the choices and events felt super unbelievable, and the ending felt really rushed.
Lewis did a great job of filling the book with horror music and movie references, however as I'm not really in this scene, it didn't quite hit.
Interesting premise, however dragged out wayyyy too much for me. The romance sub-plot felt so out of place and detracted from the main story line. Many of the choices and events felt super unbelievable, and the ending felt really rushed.
Lewis did a great job of filling the book with horror music and movie references, however as I'm not really in this scene, it didn't quite hit.
April 30, 2024
A must read for any horror fan. Graveyard Shift is a slasher with real Giallo vibes set in Melbourne, and has so many awesome references to horror culture, it’s definitely worth reading.
September 5, 2023
Thank you to NetGalley and the author for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. Unfortunately this book just didn’t work for me. I gave up at 34% DNF , far too many consistent movie and song references that I felt it just took over the whole story and there was little progress with the actual storyline
October 28, 2023
If Scream was set in Melbourne, Australia
September 9, 2023
To be honest, I am not really a fan of horror films - all that blood and stuff on screen gives me the creeps. I wanted to read the novel mainly because the title refers to a Stephen King short story, and so my curiosity was piqued.
Years ago, I made the mistake of accepting an invitation to watch a film in the evening with friends: - The Ring - . And no, not the one with the Hobbits!!!
To this day, it still gives me the creeps. It took almost a year before I could watch 'normal' TV again. I saw that it was on repeat again recently. But even after all these years, there really isn't a single hair on my head that would dare watch it. And I'm really not a sensitive moaner, but really - just not .... I'm already scared of dolls and clowns, and so, I have read IT but not watched it.
Oddly enough, I like reading horror: it's one of my favourite genres. I've read every King released since I was young - in addition, I also love 'classics' and anything gothic, like the short stories of M.R. James and E.F. Benson, and I consider myself a lifelong and total Hitchcock film buff since my college days.
Alfred Hitchcock explained that editing is the only process unique to film making. All other aspects are derived from other media, such as photography, art direction, screenwriting, acting, mise-en scène and music, so basically, The Graveyard Shift is a single staged/edited setting, an arrangement of image (the references to films and (P)/pulp fiction) and sound (references to music); - the arrangement can be fast (the opening and ending of the novel - varied, or slow (middle section).
Being a Hitchcock fan, I naturally recognised the now immortal 'Psycho' shower scene with which this novel opens.
I found it original to see that the story was set Down Under; I tend to associate Halloween with the US and not with a country where people celebrate Halloween and Christmas in bikinis and shorts on the beach with an Aussie Barbie. (By the way, Halloween does not exist in my country - on November 11 (St Martin's Day), children go door-to-door with lampoons and sing traditional songs in exchange for sweets. With the Americanisation of the world, there are now a few Halloween parties here in the Netherlands, but they are mostly in private.( e.g. at Six Flags)).
The writer also defines how we should look at the world, she directs the reader as it were: so there are no typos or grammatical errors in this novel, non-binary referential pronouns are used, and the writer assumes a tolerant inclusive society; she also briefly addresses the various youth subcultures, such as punk, gaffer, et&. .
I loved seeing my favourite band, the Cure (gothic rock/postpunk), I was a huge fan in my youth.
One grandiose scene revolving around horror and pulp fiction. Whether you are a reader or viewer of this genre, this script is a treat for everyone!
**** 4 stars. Highly recommended.
Out for publication on September 12, 2o23.
Years ago, I made the mistake of accepting an invitation to watch a film in the evening with friends: - The Ring - . And no, not the one with the Hobbits!!!
To this day, it still gives me the creeps. It took almost a year before I could watch 'normal' TV again. I saw that it was on repeat again recently. But even after all these years, there really isn't a single hair on my head that would dare watch it. And I'm really not a sensitive moaner, but really - just not .... I'm already scared of dolls and clowns, and so, I have read IT but not watched it.
Oddly enough, I like reading horror: it's one of my favourite genres. I've read every King released since I was young - in addition, I also love 'classics' and anything gothic, like the short stories of M.R. James and E.F. Benson, and I consider myself a lifelong and total Hitchcock film buff since my college days.
Alfred Hitchcock explained that editing is the only process unique to film making. All other aspects are derived from other media, such as photography, art direction, screenwriting, acting, mise-en scène and music, so basically, The Graveyard Shift is a single staged/edited setting, an arrangement of image (the references to films and (P)/pulp fiction) and sound (references to music); - the arrangement can be fast (the opening and ending of the novel - varied, or slow (middle section).
Being a Hitchcock fan, I naturally recognised the now immortal 'Psycho' shower scene with which this novel opens.
I found it original to see that the story was set Down Under; I tend to associate Halloween with the US and not with a country where people celebrate Halloween and Christmas in bikinis and shorts on the beach with an Aussie Barbie. (By the way, Halloween does not exist in my country - on November 11 (St Martin's Day), children go door-to-door with lampoons and sing traditional songs in exchange for sweets. With the Americanisation of the world, there are now a few Halloween parties here in the Netherlands, but they are mostly in private.( e.g. at Six Flags)).
The writer also defines how we should look at the world, she directs the reader as it were: so there are no typos or grammatical errors in this novel, non-binary referential pronouns are used, and the writer assumes a tolerant inclusive society; she also briefly addresses the various youth subcultures, such as punk, gaffer, et&. .
I loved seeing my favourite band, the Cure (gothic rock/postpunk), I was a huge fan in my youth.
One grandiose scene revolving around horror and pulp fiction. Whether you are a reader or viewer of this genre, this script is a treat for everyone!
**** 4 stars. Highly recommended.
Out for publication on September 12, 2o23.
March 15, 2025
Thank you to Caroline from Datura for giving me the opportunity to review The Graveyard Shift by Maria Lewis
I think this is probably my third horror/crime read. My main genre is fantasy but I like to toe dip in other genres. I’m also in my Criminal Minds era and felt like now was as good a time as any to try another horror/crime.
The Graveyard Shift follows radio host Tinsel Munroe. Her show is all about horror and the music used in various movies. During a special Halloween show Tinsel is witness to a murder whilst on the phone to a listener. Further events then unfold that are somehow linked to Tinsel. Can she unmask the killer before it’s too late.
I really enjoyed reading this, the first chapter definitely had me hooked.
The radio show concept was pretty cool too with all the horror genre references. I loved Tinsel and Pandora and their dynamic duo team.
The love interest was cute to read but did have me thinking at times that this isn’t really ethical and would this really happen in real life.
The killer reveal was a surprise but a little underwhelming. So I understand the other reviews. But then in all honesty with mysteries you always find the finale a little anti climatic as it never really lives up to the build up.
That being said I’m still glad I was able to read this and would definitely recommend if you want to dip your toe into the horror/crime type genres. It’s not overly graphic or gory (but does detail scenes of murder and there is mention of blood - so be warned) so shouldn’t be too bad if you’re a little squeamish.
I think this is probably my third horror/crime read. My main genre is fantasy but I like to toe dip in other genres. I’m also in my Criminal Minds era and felt like now was as good a time as any to try another horror/crime.
The Graveyard Shift follows radio host Tinsel Munroe. Her show is all about horror and the music used in various movies. During a special Halloween show Tinsel is witness to a murder whilst on the phone to a listener. Further events then unfold that are somehow linked to Tinsel. Can she unmask the killer before it’s too late.
I really enjoyed reading this, the first chapter definitely had me hooked.
The radio show concept was pretty cool too with all the horror genre references. I loved Tinsel and Pandora and their dynamic duo team.
The love interest was cute to read but did have me thinking at times that this isn’t really ethical and would this really happen in real life.
The killer reveal was a surprise but a little underwhelming. So I understand the other reviews. But then in all honesty with mysteries you always find the finale a little anti climatic as it never really lives up to the build up.
That being said I’m still glad I was able to read this and would definitely recommend if you want to dip your toe into the horror/crime type genres. It’s not overly graphic or gory (but does detail scenes of murder and there is mention of blood - so be warned) so shouldn’t be too bad if you’re a little squeamish.
October 16, 2023
A pacy thriller that lovingly pays homage to slasher movies and the horror genre, while delivering a story that grabs your attention from the outset and keeps a tight hold of you.
Our main character is Tinsel Munroe, a DJ who has built up a loyal following for her late-night shoe The Graveyard Shift. The following rises hugely after a fan is murdered live on air. Without knowing it, Tinsel has made herself a target for the killer.
The level of fan-worship for the genre was high, and there’s a lot of references that went over my head. We have some rather gory scenes, and this became a book that owed more to the idea than a clear execution of the individual parts. While it was quite clear who had a vested interest in the story running, there’s enough red herrings to stop the big reveal being too disappointing.
Thanks to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review this.
Our main character is Tinsel Munroe, a DJ who has built up a loyal following for her late-night shoe The Graveyard Shift. The following rises hugely after a fan is murdered live on air. Without knowing it, Tinsel has made herself a target for the killer.
The level of fan-worship for the genre was high, and there’s a lot of references that went over my head. We have some rather gory scenes, and this became a book that owed more to the idea than a clear execution of the individual parts. While it was quite clear who had a vested interest in the story running, there’s enough red herrings to stop the big reveal being too disappointing.
Thanks to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review this.
September 7, 2023
I was grateful to receive an eARC of this book.
It is a very good fit for anyone that enjoys true crime or horror movies. It is easy to read, the story is interesting and the tension in the chapters when you know there is going to be a murder is really well built. Also, I quite liked being able to guess who the killer was with the little snippets of information we were given.
As downsides, sometimes the pacing felt a little bit off (I was way more engaged in the thriller bit than the romantic subplot) and I found the final bit of the book slightly frustrating due to the characters behaving slightly out of characters and the mention of "psychosis" when talking about the killer.
Overall, an entertaining, easy to read book. I am going to miss both Tinsel and Pandora.
It is a very good fit for anyone that enjoys true crime or horror movies. It is easy to read, the story is interesting and the tension in the chapters when you know there is going to be a murder is really well built. Also, I quite liked being able to guess who the killer was with the little snippets of information we were given.
As downsides, sometimes the pacing felt a little bit off (I was way more engaged in the thriller bit than the romantic subplot) and I found the final bit of the book slightly frustrating due to the characters behaving slightly out of characters and the mention of "psychosis" when talking about the killer.
Overall, an entertaining, easy to read book. I am going to miss both Tinsel and Pandora.
October 12, 2023
3.75 🌟 so close to being 4 stars. I really did enjoy the story, and thought the killings and the reveal were all great. I also really enjoyed the writing, and was happy to be reading a new Aussie author for me (I’m Aussie too)
The issues I had were minor so that’s why I didn’t deduct too much but… the author threw a lot of woke stuff into the book that felt forced. If it had been authentic and subtle, it would not have bothered me as much, but I felt she was trying to pander to everyone. Second problem I had was the focus on the romance… it was sooooo long winded and too much was focused on it, including TWO sex scenes. Just felt like it wasn’t necessary. 100 pages could have easily been cut. That would have made the pacing a lot better.
The issues I had were minor so that’s why I didn’t deduct too much but… the author threw a lot of woke stuff into the book that felt forced. If it had been authentic and subtle, it would not have bothered me as much, but I felt she was trying to pander to everyone. Second problem I had was the focus on the romance… it was sooooo long winded and too much was focused on it, including TWO sex scenes. Just felt like it wasn’t necessary. 100 pages could have easily been cut. That would have made the pacing a lot better.
September 20, 2023
I quite liked this quirky breezey horror slasher/ scream like thriller and all the various horror film and music references. 📖
dnf-quick-stop
October 18, 2023Quick DNF @ 2% on 10/17/23 | This was cute and campy but really not what I'm in the mood for. After stopping, I feel like I could have actually continued... but I just kept not picking it back up instead. I just wasn't motivated to keep reading at a very early stage.
October 20, 2024
DNF started ok ( hence one star) but then just became boring, too much stuff in it that didn’t need to be in it, found I didn’t actually care what happened.
March 5, 2024
I grabbed this from the new book display at my local library.
I was expecting a mystery, preferably a cozy mystery, but it turned out to be a slasher book!
Maybe you could call it a cozy slasher! :) It wasn't too gory.
It was great. I loved it. And I enjoyed the characters.
Definitely recommend.
I was expecting a mystery, preferably a cozy mystery, but it turned out to be a slasher book!
Maybe you could call it a cozy slasher! :) It wasn't too gory.
It was great. I loved it. And I enjoyed the characters.
Definitely recommend.
January 14, 2025
Let's sum it to a 2.5 stars. The kick off was great thrilling, funny and plenty of horror genre fan service that I enjoyed even at its cheesiest. But then it just got lost somewhere, it hyper fixated on the romance/relationship of Tinsel and Vic. I was totally excited when the band of girls gathered together to catch the killer but that disintegrated under the acidity of drama between Vic and Tinsel. It stopped being a mystery/thriller and the ending felt muddled and out of character. I had real high hopes starting this out and as the story progressed it just felt like it couldn't make up its mind about being a mystery or a romance and it destroyed the quality of the story. That's not to say that mystery books CAN'T have romance in them, there are plenty that do and they are great, but this one dropped that aspect completely and turned into a tragedy with smut. I'm really disappointed but life moves on even if Tinsel Munroe does not.
July 24, 2024
it was a cute, lighthearted read! a bit cheesy, it made me cringe at parts. i’m not sure how a woman of colour who immediately reflects on how little she trusts cops is then thrust into a relationship with one, but i do appreciate that he gets killed in the end! no copaganda for me, thanks.
the dialogue felt… well, unrealistic and try-hard at times. you really expect me to believe that an indian woman is going to mention australia’s bloody history of colonization in a wistful, romantic tone while they gaze out at a picturesque view, leaving the fucking cop of all people to respond with “ah, colonialism”? it’s funny, but not in the way the author intended that’s for sure!
tinsel was a bit frustrating as a character, and not because she’s a normal human being with flaws, but because the author really wants us to know how aware tinsel is of the dangers a woman like her faces in the world, yet inexplicably has her go down to an empty parking garage by herself in order to get a change of clothes? look, as a woman of colour myself i understand the gross and often fetishistic way men sexually harass us, but was risking certain death really that preferable over a lecherous coworker leering at you for a couple of seconds before you left work?
anyway, as much as it made me roll my eyes it was exactly what i needed after a string of particularly dark and heavy reads. also, thank you for allowing me to complete my goal of 30 books in 2023! something i’m particularly proud of considering that i didn’t start reading until september.
(also i don’t think anyone who describes themselves as a hardcore lefty would be okay with their kid getting their back blown out by a cop, just saying! that’s more of a lib thing, maria lewis!)
the dialogue felt… well, unrealistic and try-hard at times. you really expect me to believe that an indian woman is going to mention australia’s bloody history of colonization in a wistful, romantic tone while they gaze out at a picturesque view, leaving the fucking cop of all people to respond with “ah, colonialism”? it’s funny, but not in the way the author intended that’s for sure!
tinsel was a bit frustrating as a character, and not because she’s a normal human being with flaws, but because the author really wants us to know how aware tinsel is of the dangers a woman like her faces in the world, yet inexplicably has her go down to an empty parking garage by herself in order to get a change of clothes? look, as a woman of colour myself i understand the gross and often fetishistic way men sexually harass us, but was risking certain death really that preferable over a lecherous coworker leering at you for a couple of seconds before you left work?
anyway, as much as it made me roll my eyes it was exactly what i needed after a string of particularly dark and heavy reads. also, thank you for allowing me to complete my goal of 30 books in 2023! something i’m particularly proud of considering that i didn’t start reading until september.
(also i don’t think anyone who describes themselves as a hardcore lefty would be okay with their kid getting their back blown out by a cop, just saying! that’s more of a lib thing, maria lewis!)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 17, 2023
When I first came across this book, I thought: A horror, set in Melbourne! Hell. Yes. Sign me up!
I wouldn’t say I’m an expert on the genre, like our heroine Tinsel Munroe, and I hate cheap jump scares, but I have been known to enjoy a good horror story from time to time. One that builds the suspense over course of the story. One that gives you an overall sense of foreboding, but offers lighter reprieves in between the darker moments. Paranormal beasty or not, it’s the nuance I look for in a good horror story and this book gave me exactly what I was looking for.
It started out like a typical campy 90s slasher film, which was awesome, and such a throwback to Scream, I Know What You Did…, Urban Legend, or the 70s and 80s of Nightmare…, Friday 13th and Halloween, and like any good murder mystery, laid false trails as to who might be the killer. There’s plenty of action, and suspense, and for once the main character is not a complete idiot making stupid decisions when being chased by a killer! Seriously folks, if you want to learn how to be a Final Girl - follow Tinsel’s footsteps!
There were some minor issues that I didn’t love about the book that impacted my enjoyment a little, however I’m giving it a solid 4 stars. And I would definitely consider reading more work from the author.
My thanks go to Maria Lewis, Datura, and NetGalley for an arc of this book. Opinions are my own.
I wouldn’t say I’m an expert on the genre, like our heroine Tinsel Munroe, and I hate cheap jump scares, but I have been known to enjoy a good horror story from time to time. One that builds the suspense over course of the story. One that gives you an overall sense of foreboding, but offers lighter reprieves in between the darker moments. Paranormal beasty or not, it’s the nuance I look for in a good horror story and this book gave me exactly what I was looking for.
It started out like a typical campy 90s slasher film, which was awesome, and such a throwback to Scream, I Know What You Did…, Urban Legend, or the 70s and 80s of Nightmare…, Friday 13th and Halloween, and like any good murder mystery, laid false trails as to who might be the killer. There’s plenty of action, and suspense, and for once the main character is not a complete idiot making stupid decisions when being chased by a killer! Seriously folks, if you want to learn how to be a Final Girl - follow Tinsel’s footsteps!
There were some minor issues that I didn’t love about the book that impacted my enjoyment a little, however I’m giving it a solid 4 stars. And I would definitely consider reading more work from the author.
My thanks go to Maria Lewis, Datura, and NetGalley for an arc of this book. Opinions are my own.
October 6, 2023
This is a tricky one to rate. I typically base my ratings on my reading experience and factor in things like character development, world created, ease of read and understanding, things like repetition are a huge negative, and a large cast of characters that are easily distinguishable because they're so thought out goes a really long way. I had never heard of this book and I haven't seen anyone talk about it but it seemed like my thing so I decided to take a chance on it. Because that is so rare in today's bookish community, to find something all on your own and not check with some review somewhere. I'm extremely pleased with my choice. I wanted a slasher where there's a real live person causing devastation without it being repressed trauma or over the top gory. It's been surprisingly hard to find books like that. I'm hoping I just haven't looked in the right places yet and I will eventually find the right place. As this story progressed it actually became sort of a romance and I was all, I see you! Writing crime horror and you've managed to slip in something for the romance girlies too! My reading has not been the most stable over the last couple of years. Then, I would start a book and know it would be finished that day or the next day once I woke up. People think it's hard to find time when they have small children. No one told me about the time suck when they become teenagers and play sports. And I take books to the football games.. and I ADORE football. People send me snaps of myself reading in the stands. But it is hard for a book to hook me to the point of reading 50/100 pages without meaning to or realizing it. I glanced up from this and my eyes went huge when I was at 65 pages and it felt like I'd only just opened the book. In that context, this book was very well written. The characters are actually amazing. I was a tad iffy on reading about a character named Tinsel and then I met her sister Pandora. But it didn't phase me at all.
This story follows Tinsel who is the host of a radio show from 11pm-6am named aptly The Graveyard Shift. Tinsel is heavy into horror films and film in general and obviously a lover of music and radio. She's young and just paying her dues and hoping down the line to get a supreme gig. But she doesn't mind it. We start on Halloween night when Tinsel takes a call from a listener hoping to score tickets to a movie premiere. She won them! Then she was promptly murdered while still on the air. More murder to come. I did and didn't like the way the author decided to give us the information when someone was murdered. And now that I've finished it, there are things that I could point to (I won't here because spoilers) and say if you'd have done it this way instead then it really would have elevated the story more. And I got my ending. But I also got one that honestly, wasn't necessary but most importantly, it will be the downfall of this book. I was ready to give this 5 Stars. Now I'm sitting here thinking 4 is too much but 3 doesn't convey how much I loved 98% of this. I'm sure the author thought they were doing something out of pocket.. a twist! HA. I got you. No, what you got was stars docked. That's it. You had someone ready to recommend this to a plethora of different readers but now, I'm not pissing them off at me because you made choices. It was just uncalled for and then quickly moved on from. I'm a person that actually understands what Veronica Roth was trying to do with the way she ended Allegiant. It sucked but I understood. This sucker punch though? It was pointless and if you ripped out this part, you've got a better book. Anyway. As the murders keep happening, Tinsel works with police and her kick ass sister Pandora to try and figure out why any of this is happening.
So that's it. If you want a slasher moment, pick it up. I would read something by Maria Lewis in the future because her writing style is great. I'd like to see if her story telling tactics have changed at all.
This story follows Tinsel who is the host of a radio show from 11pm-6am named aptly The Graveyard Shift. Tinsel is heavy into horror films and film in general and obviously a lover of music and radio. She's young and just paying her dues and hoping down the line to get a supreme gig. But she doesn't mind it. We start on Halloween night when Tinsel takes a call from a listener hoping to score tickets to a movie premiere. She won them! Then she was promptly murdered while still on the air. More murder to come. I did and didn't like the way the author decided to give us the information when someone was murdered. And now that I've finished it, there are things that I could point to (I won't here because spoilers) and say if you'd have done it this way instead then it really would have elevated the story more. And I got my ending. But I also got one that honestly, wasn't necessary but most importantly, it will be the downfall of this book. I was ready to give this 5 Stars. Now I'm sitting here thinking 4 is too much but 3 doesn't convey how much I loved 98% of this. I'm sure the author thought they were doing something out of pocket.. a twist! HA. I got you. No, what you got was stars docked. That's it. You had someone ready to recommend this to a plethora of different readers but now, I'm not pissing them off at me because you made choices. It was just uncalled for and then quickly moved on from. I'm a person that actually understands what Veronica Roth was trying to do with the way she ended Allegiant. It sucked but I understood. This sucker punch though? It was pointless and if you ripped out this part, you've got a better book. Anyway. As the murders keep happening, Tinsel works with police and her kick ass sister Pandora to try and figure out why any of this is happening.
So that's it. If you want a slasher moment, pick it up. I would read something by Maria Lewis in the future because her writing style is great. I'd like to see if her story telling tactics have changed at all.
July 14, 2024
This felt like watching a B-rated slasher flick, which I still enjoy as guilty pleasures despite whatever flaws they might have.
The Graveyard Shift was easy to get through and enjoyable enough for passing the time. The author is Australian so I enjoyed that it clearly read as such with slang and geographical/landmark references. That being said, there were parts that I disliked.
I know that Tinsel- I dislike kooky names in books so I will refer to her as Tin henceforth- is a radio DJ who is obsessed with 90s horror films but wow. Just wow at the number of song and movie titles, and repeating her show opening- that's one way to hit your word count. I love music and slashers but even I started skimming through those a third of the way in. I wonder if this translated better in an audiobook. (I can't be bothered to find out.)
The editing also needed to be tighter- there were simple mistakes like misusing "who's" in place of "whose". Nitpicking: I somewhat get the use of "cos" in dialogues to get a reader immersed but it still irked me to read in a book.
The Graveyard Shift was easy to get through and enjoyable enough for passing the time. The author is Australian so I enjoyed that it clearly read as such with slang and geographical/landmark references. That being said, there were parts that I disliked.
I know that Tinsel- I dislike kooky names in books so I will refer to her as Tin henceforth- is a radio DJ who is obsessed with 90s horror films but wow. Just wow at the number of song and movie titles, and repeating her show opening- that's one way to hit your word count. I love music and slashers but even I started skimming through those a third of the way in. I wonder if this translated better in an audiobook. (I can't be bothered to find out.)
The editing also needed to be tighter- there were simple mistakes like misusing "who's" in place of "whose". Nitpicking: I somewhat get the use of "cos" in dialogues to get a reader immersed but it still irked me to read in a book.
October 28, 2025
3.5 Stars
***
Tinsel Monroe hosts The Graveyard Shift, a late-night radio show that focuses on horror and cult-classic movie soundtracks. Tinsel is determined to make her way up to prime-time radio, but it was not her intention to gain an audience when one of her call-in listeners is murdered on-air. Tinsel is shaken, but her true-crime sister Pandora is fascinated and wants to be involved. One cop seems determined to keep Tinsel safe, even as more gruesome murders are taking place. With her audience skyrocketing, Tinsel is sure that one of them may be the very killer the police are hunting. But, is the killer also after Tinsel? Her house and workplace are no longer safe and Tinsel no longer trusts any of the people around her, as the murders begin to come closer and closer to home.
This is a fast-paced horror read that has you guessing who the culprit could be. Reading it felt like stepping into a horror movie, complete with misdirection and jump scares. My favourite parts though were the obscure songs Tinsel would play on her late-night show and her affinity to all things macabre. Now, having read so much mystery and picking up on the clues I was able to figure out the culprit and why quite early on. But it made for good reading, even if I felt the reveal and ending fell a little flat after all the build up and relationship building.
I guess I just felt the author veered in a certain direction less for the plot and more for the shock value. Especially, considering all Tinsel went through to make the final decision she does. I felt like that was too unrealistic to her characterization and sort of made the whole plot of the book pointless.
I will say the death scenes were well written and spooky. I felt the creepy vibes, the ominousness of each breath before the killer revealed themselves to their victims. It was pointed, dark, and cleary a twisted mind at work. The novel very much reminded me of horror favourite Scream for its meta take on the film industry, radio, and people's affinity for death and gore.
One of the best parts of the book was the relationship between Tinsel and her sister Pandora. Both are adopted yet they act as connected as twins would. They are so closely bonded, it is nice for Tinsel to have Pandora to ground her after all that has happened. Often in movies the final girls has no one, but here Tinsel has another strong female to rely on. Which can be both cathartic and terrifying, especially when she worries for the safety of her sister and her sister's family (husband and kids). Pandora is also a no shits given kind of character who knows what she wants and goes for it, but not at the expense of her sister. But, she has a blog dedicated to true crime and an in with the case, of course she is going to work the angles to get the truth and make sure her and Tinsel are safe.
The romantic subplot was cute and made for some much needed calm in a fast-paced whirlwind of murder. I really liked how Tinsel and Detective Vic worked together, her wanting to know more and him protecting and calming her down when things become too scary. A good horror mystery that maybe could have used a tighter ending, but enjoyable nonetheless.
Thank you to Datura Books for sending me a copy to read and review.
***
Tinsel Monroe hosts The Graveyard Shift, a late-night radio show that focuses on horror and cult-classic movie soundtracks. Tinsel is determined to make her way up to prime-time radio, but it was not her intention to gain an audience when one of her call-in listeners is murdered on-air. Tinsel is shaken, but her true-crime sister Pandora is fascinated and wants to be involved. One cop seems determined to keep Tinsel safe, even as more gruesome murders are taking place. With her audience skyrocketing, Tinsel is sure that one of them may be the very killer the police are hunting. But, is the killer also after Tinsel? Her house and workplace are no longer safe and Tinsel no longer trusts any of the people around her, as the murders begin to come closer and closer to home.
This is a fast-paced horror read that has you guessing who the culprit could be. Reading it felt like stepping into a horror movie, complete with misdirection and jump scares. My favourite parts though were the obscure songs Tinsel would play on her late-night show and her affinity to all things macabre. Now, having read so much mystery and picking up on the clues I was able to figure out the culprit and why quite early on. But it made for good reading, even if I felt the reveal and ending fell a little flat after all the build up and relationship building.
I guess I just felt the author veered in a certain direction less for the plot and more for the shock value. Especially, considering all Tinsel went through to make the final decision she does. I felt like that was too unrealistic to her characterization and sort of made the whole plot of the book pointless.
I will say the death scenes were well written and spooky. I felt the creepy vibes, the ominousness of each breath before the killer revealed themselves to their victims. It was pointed, dark, and cleary a twisted mind at work. The novel very much reminded me of horror favourite Scream for its meta take on the film industry, radio, and people's affinity for death and gore.
One of the best parts of the book was the relationship between Tinsel and her sister Pandora. Both are adopted yet they act as connected as twins would. They are so closely bonded, it is nice for Tinsel to have Pandora to ground her after all that has happened. Often in movies the final girls has no one, but here Tinsel has another strong female to rely on. Which can be both cathartic and terrifying, especially when she worries for the safety of her sister and her sister's family (husband and kids). Pandora is also a no shits given kind of character who knows what she wants and goes for it, but not at the expense of her sister. But, she has a blog dedicated to true crime and an in with the case, of course she is going to work the angles to get the truth and make sure her and Tinsel are safe.
The romantic subplot was cute and made for some much needed calm in a fast-paced whirlwind of murder. I really liked how Tinsel and Detective Vic worked together, her wanting to know more and him protecting and calming her down when things become too scary. A good horror mystery that maybe could have used a tighter ending, but enjoyable nonetheless.
Thank you to Datura Books for sending me a copy to read and review.
December 21, 2023
The first problem with this book is immediately introducing a very unnecessary and extremely trite romance. The second problem is said love interest is a fucking cop. The third problem is literally everything else about this book.
I would leave the review there but I need to talk about how the author clearly thinks we love Pandora and think she's so darling and great, when she runs a true crime blog (ENORMOUS red flag, personally) and her first reaction to hearing that her sister heard a woman murdered live on air less than 12 hours ago is to get excited about the idea she can publish an article on the murder with the insider scoop. And then she asks if Tinsel has the recording of the murder so they can listen to it???? And there's also the scene where she gets excited about all the hits her site is getting after her sister was chased through backstreets terrified for her life.............. yet she's positioned as being someone we are meant to support, agree with, and like? Absolutely deranged characterisation, I hated it.
(Also speaking of bad characterisation, am I the only one who noticed that when Tinsel didn't want to quit the show saying this is her only opportunity in the field, Luiza was there to judge her for coming back and try to push her to take time away, yet at the end when Tinsel decides to have her girlboss moment and quit Luiza has apparently done a 180 and is now judging her for leaving and being like 'how could you just throw this all away?' ???? Not sure what that was meant to convey exactly.)
This book would have been vastly served by having a lot of the bloat cut out. A lot of what happened felt so unnecessary, including the constant asides going on about Tinsel's family situation. Was it truly, truly necessary to mention she's adopted that many times? Really? And how much info we get about her parents and the dynamics with them, it's absurd because they're never even in any scene and serve zero role to the narrative. This book lacks the frenetic pace of a good thriller, and the slowness made the 'tense' moments fail to hit. Also have I mentioned the puke-worthy romantic interest who contributes nothing to the plot except for a man to run in and save the female lead at every turn while letting us know she's super hot and desirable even as she damsels?
Spoilers but the murderer reveal is so absolutely ridiculous and beyond cheesy that I just had zero reaction. I wasn't even pissed off or disappointed because after slogging through three hundred pages of drivel, bloat, and the unbearable cringe that was Vicellous (absurd name choice, but just as awful as the man himself so props to the author for that), I really had no expectations. The only saving grace is the cop dies, thank god for that.
I would leave the review there but I need to talk about how the author clearly thinks we love Pandora and think she's so darling and great, when she runs a true crime blog (ENORMOUS red flag, personally) and her first reaction to hearing that her sister heard a woman murdered live on air less than 12 hours ago is to get excited about the idea she can publish an article on the murder with the insider scoop. And then she asks if Tinsel has the recording of the murder so they can listen to it???? And there's also the scene where she gets excited about all the hits her site is getting after her sister was chased through backstreets terrified for her life.............. yet she's positioned as being someone we are meant to support, agree with, and like? Absolutely deranged characterisation, I hated it.
(Also speaking of bad characterisation, am I the only one who noticed that when Tinsel didn't want to quit the show saying this is her only opportunity in the field, Luiza was there to judge her for coming back and try to push her to take time away, yet at the end when Tinsel decides to have her girlboss moment and quit Luiza has apparently done a 180 and is now judging her for leaving and being like 'how could you just throw this all away?' ???? Not sure what that was meant to convey exactly.)
This book would have been vastly served by having a lot of the bloat cut out. A lot of what happened felt so unnecessary, including the constant asides going on about Tinsel's family situation. Was it truly, truly necessary to mention she's adopted that many times? Really? And how much info we get about her parents and the dynamics with them, it's absurd because they're never even in any scene and serve zero role to the narrative. This book lacks the frenetic pace of a good thriller, and the slowness made the 'tense' moments fail to hit. Also have I mentioned the puke-worthy romantic interest who contributes nothing to the plot except for a man to run in and save the female lead at every turn while letting us know she's super hot and desirable even as she damsels?
Spoilers but the murderer reveal is so absolutely ridiculous and beyond cheesy that I just had zero reaction. I wasn't even pissed off or disappointed because after slogging through three hundred pages of drivel, bloat, and the unbearable cringe that was Vicellous (absurd name choice, but just as awful as the man himself so props to the author for that), I really had no expectations. The only saving grace is the cop dies, thank god for that.
September 10, 2023
I always look forward to Maria Lewis's books. Her recently completed urban fantasy series, Supernatural Sisters, was thoroughly good from beginning to end, introducing many vivid and relatable characters and more, taking the time and trouble to develop those characters over several books as well as to engage with real-word issues.
The Graveyard Shift seems to be more standalone, and is firmly in the crime genre rather than the supernatural, but in Tinsel Monroe, Lewis has created another unforgettable woman lead. Monroe is the presenter of The Graveyard Shift, a late night/ early morning radio show in Melbourne, Australia, playing music drawn from the horror genre, especially horror/ slasher films. She's proud of what she has achieved, and seems to be respected by her peers and popular with the audience, but after three years at the studio is getting no nearer primetime. Tinsel's boyfriend is clearly a louse, as we see when, after the worst night of her life, he throws a childish tantrum because she's home a bit late. So she's under a lot of stress here, a theme throughout the book.
The reason Tinsel is late is because a caller-in to the show has been murdered while she was on the line. Was the victim targeted because of The Graveyard Shift? Or is there a serial killer out there who resents the horror genre? The police seem to be making no progress, so it's up to Tinsel and her redoubtable sister Pandora, to move things forward. (Perhaps I shouldn't write the police off utterly - things between Tinsel and the handsome Detective James do seem to be moving forward quite fast, giving this book a definite spin of romance - and some rather steamy scenes at times).
I loved the way that Lewis has the action in this story emerge from the characters, not just happen to them. Tinsel is a well drawn, if complex, person, and she'll soon gain the reader's sympathy and support. We see her make some misjudgements but she's always ready to get up after them and push on. Tinsel's sister Pandora is if anything even more of a face of nature, a mother with a toddler to wrangle and, therefore, no time to waste on anything, she is no respecter of persons but offers total support to her sister. The relationship between the two is perfect - it is complex, clearly has depth, and above all, they are absolutely there for each other.
They will need to be. There is plenty of danger in this story as the killer's rampage proceeds, and while Pandora and Detective James do their best to protect Tinsel, she has a way of walking into it. When James is suddenly pulled from the case and goes dark, she realises that she needs to sort things, now, before anyone else is hurt. That leads up to a nailbiting and twisty climax which I absolutely had to finish, late through the hour was.
Filled with the lore and delicious geekiness of the horror subculture, this is an absorbing and assured novel with an unforgettable heroine. Lewis's writing is engaging and witty and absolutely on point (she describes a regretful Tinsel as having been 'dicknotised and stuck with this man [her controlling ex] for three years'. The story is I think in large part about Tinsel breaking free from this toxic relationship, but also from others, and finding her true voice, even surrounded by tragic events - and, as it turns out, in the midst of true danger as the shadowy killer comes and goes.
A great read.
The Graveyard Shift seems to be more standalone, and is firmly in the crime genre rather than the supernatural, but in Tinsel Monroe, Lewis has created another unforgettable woman lead. Monroe is the presenter of The Graveyard Shift, a late night/ early morning radio show in Melbourne, Australia, playing music drawn from the horror genre, especially horror/ slasher films. She's proud of what she has achieved, and seems to be respected by her peers and popular with the audience, but after three years at the studio is getting no nearer primetime. Tinsel's boyfriend is clearly a louse, as we see when, after the worst night of her life, he throws a childish tantrum because she's home a bit late. So she's under a lot of stress here, a theme throughout the book.
The reason Tinsel is late is because a caller-in to the show has been murdered while she was on the line. Was the victim targeted because of The Graveyard Shift? Or is there a serial killer out there who resents the horror genre? The police seem to be making no progress, so it's up to Tinsel and her redoubtable sister Pandora, to move things forward. (Perhaps I shouldn't write the police off utterly - things between Tinsel and the handsome Detective James do seem to be moving forward quite fast, giving this book a definite spin of romance - and some rather steamy scenes at times).
I loved the way that Lewis has the action in this story emerge from the characters, not just happen to them. Tinsel is a well drawn, if complex, person, and she'll soon gain the reader's sympathy and support. We see her make some misjudgements but she's always ready to get up after them and push on. Tinsel's sister Pandora is if anything even more of a face of nature, a mother with a toddler to wrangle and, therefore, no time to waste on anything, she is no respecter of persons but offers total support to her sister. The relationship between the two is perfect - it is complex, clearly has depth, and above all, they are absolutely there for each other.
They will need to be. There is plenty of danger in this story as the killer's rampage proceeds, and while Pandora and Detective James do their best to protect Tinsel, she has a way of walking into it. When James is suddenly pulled from the case and goes dark, she realises that she needs to sort things, now, before anyone else is hurt. That leads up to a nailbiting and twisty climax which I absolutely had to finish, late through the hour was.
Filled with the lore and delicious geekiness of the horror subculture, this is an absorbing and assured novel with an unforgettable heroine. Lewis's writing is engaging and witty and absolutely on point (she describes a regretful Tinsel as having been 'dicknotised and stuck with this man [her controlling ex] for three years'. The story is I think in large part about Tinsel breaking free from this toxic relationship, but also from others, and finding her true voice, even surrounded by tragic events - and, as it turns out, in the midst of true danger as the shadowy killer comes and goes.
A great read.
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