Review: Ring the Bells (Stranger Times #5) by CK McDonnell
9 October 2025
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Book Reviews, Books, CK McDonnell, Fantasy, fiction, Review, Ring the Bells, Stranger Times #5
My Five Word TL:DR Review: This Series is a Blast
I’m absolutely loving the Stranger Times series and considering that we’re up to instalment No.5 already there hasn’t been a single blip or lull so far. I quite literally can’t say enough good things about this and if you’re currently looking for your next urban fantasy series then I highly recommend it. I would at this point also mention that if you’re intending to read this series (and you really should) then you might want to stop reading now in case of spoilers. I also suggest you start with book 1 as you really don’t want to miss any of these mysteries or the background to the characters.
This instalment is all about the merry Christmas vibe. As the book begins we meet with a small coven, meeting in the library after hours to do a few good deeds here and there. Unfortunately things go horribly wrong and all but one of the coven end up brutally slain. This is just the start of yet another mystery that the Stranger Times staff will become deeply embroiled with that has massive implications.
Basically, somebody is interfering with the universe, lulling people in with magical artefacts and causing chaos when things don’t go to plan. On this occasion an old, long forgotten God called Zalas has been released unwittingly. Absolutely livid at the paltry humans who no longer remember his existence he is determined to wreak havoc and have his revenge on these worthless people – and, well, if Christmas is ruined in the process then so be it.
The police are totally blindsided and although the staff of the Stranger Times are hot on the trail of Zalas it’s difficult to keep track when he can easily inhabit any body he wishes to. And, well, he’s currently playing the best role he’s ever had.
This was such an excellent read. It’s almost 500 pages but I couldn’t put it down and finished it in about two days.
As with the other instalments we learn more about the staff of the Stranger Times. Stella and Manny seem to be having something of a clash in this story which comes to a completely unexpected conclusion. Hannah and Tom are still pussyfooting around each other, Hannah being very protective over Tom’s (private) eye (I know!) Banecroft is saving the world whilst Ox plays audience and Grace wants nothing more than a festive party. Perhaps she’s on the naughty list after all.
To be honest, I loved this story and it’s another perfect instalment. The dialogue is funny, the imagination is incredible, I really care for the characters and I love the setting. I mean, I couldn’t begin to see how everything would be resolved and yet once again the author pulls it off with style. So, the whole package really. I seriously, wholeheartedly recommend this series.
I received a copy through Netgalley, courtesy of the publisher, for which my thanks. The above is my own opinion.
My rating 5 of 5 stars
Review: House of Splinters by Laura Purcell
8 October 2025
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Book Reviews, Books, Horror, House of Splinters, Laura Purcell, Review
My Five Word TL:DR Review: Return to the Creepy Cutouts
I absolutely loved The Silent Companions so was really excited to hear about House of Splinters which once again brings to us the creepy wooden characters that haunted the first book.
House of Splinters is a prequel to The Silent Companions and takes us back to the remote country estate known as The Bridge. This time we get to explore a little more of the ancestors whilst taking a closer look at the current inhabitants and their own haunted pasts.
I love a gothic tale and House of Splinters really delivers on that score. A somewhat rundown mansion with secrets a plenty and an unnerving amount of wooden ‘companions’. Moving into The Bridge with her husband Wilfred and their two children is a dream come true for Belinda Bainbridge. She is finally able to step out from her mother’s shadow and take up a position in Wilfred’s ancestral home. Unfortunately, the untimely death of Wilfred’s father remains something of a mystery but the two are determined to make a home at the Bridge. Wilfred tucks into the estate’s accounts, which are a little sadder than he had realised, and Belinda tries to take up various projects – such as transforming certain aspects of the garden – although with little success.
Added to this is the appearance, from the attic, of a number of wooden ‘companions’ that Belinda’s son Freddy takes a real shine to.
Once again Purcell manages to create atmosphere and tension with apparent ease. The story incorporates a number of current issues that add to this giving a feeling of escalation as the local villagers become incensed with the new owner. Added to this is the constant talk of ‘curses’ and the dreadful history attached to the mansion which gradually bring a feeling of hysteria to the current occupants. And then throw in the sudden and unexpected appearance of another family member.
What I really enjoyed with this. I love the ‘companions’. I feel like Purcell has come across something so creepy with these wooden characters. She seems to have tapped into our innate fear of puppets, dolls, and the like with these ‘dummy boards’ that were actually really popular in past times, although nobody really knows their real purpose – perhaps for decoration, perhaps as a deterrent, maybe even to make a home seem lived in and less lonely (hence ‘silent companions’). Whatever the reason these are chilling to say the least and give the Bridge an extra creepy vibe as they seemingly pop up all over the house when least expected. Their eyes and expressions sometimes seem to move or appear more sinister – they really are nightmare inducing. Added to this and heightening their ‘creep factor’ is that Freddy seems to have made friends with one of the companions. This really adds to the haunted vibe, I couldn’t help thinking of The Shining and the little boy who can see and hear all manner of scary things. Shivers!
I really enjoyed House of Splinters. It took turns that I really didn’t expect, it briefly touches on local issues and history that bring a more reality based explanation to some of the events but at the same time it infuses the story with doubt and creepiness soaking it with a feeling of pervasive dread. I was literally willing Belinda to scoop up her children and run.
I received a copy through Netgalley, courtesy of the publisher, for which my thanks. The above is my own opinion.
My rating 4 of 5 creepy companion stars
Review: The Last Witch by CJ Cooke
6 October 2025
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Book Reviews, Books, CJ Cooke, Fantasy, Review, The Last Witch, Witches
My Five Word TL:DR Review: Fantastic, Truth Based Historical Fiction
The Last Witch is a phenomenal read. It’s tense, dark, cruel and totally compelling. I absolutely loved CJ Cooke’s A Haunting in the Arctic, a shocking and highly spooky ghost story that I thought would be difficult to surpass but The Last Witch certainly comes close to doing so.
Put simply I don’t really think I can do this book justice in a review but I’ll give it a shot.
The writing is absolutely beautiful, which is a strange thing to say when so much of the story is composed of misogyny and violence towards women. It is without doubt a shocking read, not gratuitous I must say, just totally horrifically mind blowing in the way it relates the injustices of the era.
This is a story set in Austria during the 15th century. Women’s lives were certainly not their own during that period and when the witch hunts began many women became scapegoats, blamed for crops failing to children becoming ill. Accusations, many from bitter, jealous or thwarted neighbours were treated as hard fact and the women accused were tortured to make them confess.
Helena Schueberin had drawn the notice of a religious zealot, a priest who eventually became one of the most feared witch hunters in Europe and went on to write and publish the Malleus Maleficarum. Heinrich Kramer makes it his mission to clean up the quiet city of Innsbruck of witches – and apparently the city is overrun. Taken into custody along with six other women Helena was starved, tortured and treated despicably but remained firm in her determination to speak out against the injustices.
I have to say this is so well written, it’s one of the most gripping historical stories that I’ve read. It’s so powerful, the writing brings the setting alive, the fear, the appalling conditions, Cooke doesn’t shy away from the bitter truth or the fickle crowds that turn from peaceful and loving to a pitchfork wielding mob hungry for violence.
Helena is a fantastic character to read. I really liked her and I must say that I was terrified on her behalf for a good deal of the book! Equally, Kramer is absolutely unbelievably horrifying, to think that a religious man could be so shockingly brutal, to seemingly take such pleasure in inflicting pain and to be so consumed with hate for all women. It’s difficult to get your head around to be honest. Fortunately, not everyone was of the same mind and one of the other characters, Bishop Georg Golser, took many personal risks to champion the accused women.
I highly recommend The Last Witch, I would mention again that this doesn’t pull any punches when it comes to the treatment of many women during this period, it is shockingly brutal in its portrayal and might not be for everyone. Personally, I think it’s a remarkable book. A dark tale with hints of the supernatural, wonderfully written and with very powerful performances from the central characters. A book that will stay on my mind for some time.
I received a copy through Netgalley, courtesy of the publishers, for which my thanks. The above is my own opinion.
My rating 4.5 of 5 stars
Review: The Cold House by AG Slatter
3 October 2025
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: AG Slatter, Book Reviews, Books, fiction, Horror, Review, The Cold House
My Five Word TL:DR Review: Read This In One Sitting
The Cold House by AG Slatter hooked me completely. Slatter is fast becoming one of my favourite authors, I’ve read and thoroughly enjoyed four of her Sourdough novels and so was both intrigued and wary of The Cold House. Intrigued because I want to read everything that this author writes, wary because this is a novella and I confess that short stories and novellas rarely work their magic, plus, this is a contemporary setting and, again, it’s not really my go to setting. All that being said, I am more than happy to be proved wrong. This is such a powerful story, probably made even more intense by the length. It’s brimming over with atmosphere and tension, the main character’s grief is palpable and then we have the gothic and folklore elements all leading up to an unexpected conclusion that treads the path into horror.
Everly Bainbridge’s life was shattered the day her husband and daughter both died in a tragic car accident. Since then she has walked round in a daze, mimicking life but not living it. Her grief is so raw that it literally brings a lump to your throat and this is added to by the fact that in the wake of her husband’s death she has discovered that she didn’t really know him at all. Unexpectedly, she is now not only a wealthy woman but she has a lawyer who seems to arrange things on her behalf including a stay in the country to help try to revive her. Upon arrival at this remote retreat the house in question is a mansion with creepy vibes and an intriguing locked door. The ‘Cold House’, as it is known locally has a dark history and the locals give it something of a wide berth, rightfully so, and not long after arrival Everly begins to hear her daughter’s voice calling to her and, that locked door, seems to mysteriously become unlocked.
I won’t say more about the story. This went in a direction I wasn’t expecting at all which was actually a real treat.
The writing is wonderful and I love the way Slatter manages to pack such a punch really taking you through a run of emotions whilst somehow managing to inject humour into the story. Everly is an easy character to follow, I really felt for her and confess she had me worried on more than one occasion.
This is wonderfully gothic tale whilst also leaning into folklore elements and the conclusion had me determined to finish the story in one sitting, I think I was holding my breath at one point (not my best idea) as the horror started to edge in and I really couldn’t see how everything was going to be resolved. But, Slatter really pulled it off.
My only regret, as with all novellas, much like Oliver, I would have liked more. What can I say I’m simply a glutton.
In conclusion, my initial worries were totally obliterated by this dark and punchy story.
I received a copy through Netgalley, courtesy of the publisher, for which my thanks. The above is my own opinion.
My rating 4 of 5 stars
Review: Cinder House by Freya Marske
2 October 2025
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Book Reviews, Books, Cinder House, Fantasy, Freya Marske, Review
My Five Word TL:DR Review: DIdn’t Quite Work For Me
Cinder House is a retelling of the Cinderella story with a twist in the tale. It has all the components that you would expect. The terrible stepmother and her ghastly daughters, a Prince who must choose a wife, a grand ball, a member of the fae (perhaps not a Godmother as such), time restrictions about returning home and one significant change that was interesting but that I won’t spoil here.
I can say, as it’s already mentioned in the description that at the start of the story Cinder dies and remains from that point forward a ghost, tethered to the house and with various restrictions.
I confess that the start of the story really intrigued me. It takes a step away from the original story and I was very curious how things would play out – ultimately it’s probably this twist that presented me with mixed feelings.
In terms of what I enjoyed.
I do enjoy a good retelling and as I already mentioned this has all the components to make it a clear retelling. The writing is solid, in fact I’ve read this author before and enjoy her style very much.
The characters come across as you might expect. The stepmother is cold and calculating and completely lacking in emotion other than her ambitions for her daughters. Her daughters – well, one has magic and is a horrible excuse for a human being, taking great delight in persecuting Cinder, the other sister isn’t quite as nasty. The Prince – well, his tale also has a twist and also moves in a direction that I really didn’t foresee – and I’m sorry, but I’m not going to give away spoilers for that either.
What didn’t work quite so well for me.
I think first and foremost this is a novella. I usually do avoid novellas because they don’t always have the depth that I’m really looking for, but, I do find that fairytale retellings can work well with a shorter length so, strictly speaking, perhaps this is more a ‘me’ issue. The other issue is that, and again this is really down to me and personal preferences, but I kind of expect a fairytale to have a happy ending. And, well, in some respects maybe this is a happy ending, it just didn’t quite work for me. That being said, this is an easy, bite sized story that I can see plenty of other readers simply wolfing down.
I received a copy through Netgalley, courtesy of the publisher, for which my thanks. The above is my own opinion.
My rating 3 of 5 stars
Books and travelling with Lynn 