Top 10 Horror Books of 2022 Part 2
The Horror Books You Need on Your Shelf
My Top Picks Continued
Here is the next set of horror books that I picked to be in my top 10 for 2022. As a recap, the first five consisted of:
- Hex by Thomas Olde Heuvelt
- Stolen Tongues by Felix Blackwell
- Theme Music by T. Marie Vandelly
- What Moves the Dead by T. Kingfisher
- The Cursed Among Us by John Durgin.
Again, these books are in no particular order but are the books that I read in one sitting because they grabbed my attention and would not let go. On to the next five!
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It is such a rare thing for me to find a book that holds my attention from page one until the end. I was completely absorbed by this story and came to really care about the characters. It seems like a typical plot. A family looking for a fresh start moves into a haunted house and all hell breaks loose. In this case, however, Hell literally resides in their new home, and once you have been infected, you can’t just move away to break free. As sinister forces begin to take control, the family is befriended by a mysterious dog whose previous owner had a strong connection to the house. Supernatural support comes into play as the family battles for their own souls. This book checked off all my favorite boxes: ghosts, demons, possession, good vs evil, twisted scenes, surprise turns, exquisite imagery, and a loyal canine friend.
I literally got a copy of this book the day it came out and contacted Nick right away. I was blown away by the writing. Since its release, it has been optioned for a movie. Now Nick will tell you that even though it has been optioned, that does not mean it will actually make it to the screen. There have been a few different scripts written, but no one has been found to produce it yet. I know that this whole process has just been thrilling for Nick, and I hope this project can move forward. Another little fact about Mr. Roberts, he received his doctorate this year and now goes by Dr.
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What a fantastic debut! I had been anticipating this one since April when Guy first described it to me. The story focuses in on Ghost Team, one of several squads of highly trained soldiers that falls under the auspices of the Unholy Slaying Agency, a department within the United States Government. Their job is protecting citizens from supernatural enemies, such as lycanthropes, vampires, ghouls, and zombies. After defeating an alpha lycanthrope and her drones, they head back to headquarters to learn of trouble in Los Angeles. It seems the nephilim are up to no good and have somehow teamed up with a very evil and powerful voodoo priest named Edjewale. Ghost Team is sent in to assess the situation where they learn about Moorehouse Asylum. Given
permission to further investigate, Ghost Team is met with an ambush of demonic proportions.
What I loved most about this book is although it is fantastical in nature, I found it completely believable due to the fact that Guy drew from his own knowledge making the conversations more authentic and relevant to the scenes, and he also provides history and background to some of the theories in this world, making them seem more plausible. It is such a fun and action-packed read pulling on different emotions throughout to increase its impact. I was fortunate enough to receive an advanced copy of this book and became Guy’s very first reviewer! We have since become friends. He is an amazing person and is working on more installments of the Unholy Slaying Agency.
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An old parasite has created a niche for itself amongst humanity. After taking over numerous hosts, it has developed an intelligent, sentient community that has created “The Institute” where members are medically trained and dispersed around the land to take over as the main doctor of every region. Through its study of humans in this way, it has developed a remarkable library of knowledge and a medical procedure for spreading itself to knew hosts. For half a millennium, it has steadily grown and ruled the medical community. However, through hive mind communication, the newest doctor for a local baron has discovered and alerted the Institute and all its members of a competitor on the loose in and around the baron’s château infecting hosts and fighting for its own foothold in humanity. What transpires is a battle for dominance with humankind in the crosshairs.
This is a debut novel by this author, and it is amazingly and impeccably written. I am always drawn in by science and there is plenty of scientific discourse in this book. The vocabulary enriches the story and brings depth to the plot. I was completely enthralled from beginning to end by the menagerie of characters and the care given to creating multi-dimensional personalities that the reader feels intense emotions about. I cannot wait to see what other worlds this author creates.
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This story begins with a family moving to a secluded farmhouse in a small town because the husband/father thinks it would be good for the family. Of course, not everyone is happy with this move, particularly the wife and daughter. I have read several books this year that used this same trope of the man moving his less than thrilled family to get us to the desired setting of the old, creepy house. I thought I was getting bored with this premise until this book. Does it follow the same type of haunted storyline? Yes, but this infestation is very different and potentially more hazardous.
I managed to get my hands on this book because the author contacted me and asked me to read for him. When the copy arrived, I was immediately intrigued by the cover. This book was wonderfully written and so engaging. It has a unique and compelling plot that really hit me in the feels as a parent because my ultimate job is to protect my children, and in this story, children are the target. If I didn’t have kids of my own, I think I would have definitely identified the most
with Madison, the oldest, and slightly rebellious, daughter. She is a strong, capable character, and I really enjoyed experiencing her come into her own.
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A man out checking his crab pots comes across a gruesome discovery, the partial body of a woman crusted in barnacles and other sea detritus. Debating what to do, he suddenly sees movement coming from the corpse, and then she opens her eye. Thus begins a story of revenge against an unnatural force as a group of former friends must battle decisions made in their teens that have impacted their lives ever since. There are so many twists and turns that keep the reader guessing. I hope you enjoy the ride as much as I did.
This book is incredibly well-written with a story so original and fresh, it’s easy to get sucked in. The visual descriptions are fantastic with the images of events forming easily in the mind. The story flows well with seamless transitions and descriptive vocabulary. Andrew Van Wey is a master of the written word, and I jumped at the chance to read for him when he contacted me. I have since become part of Andrew’s beta reading and street team. His next novel is sitting in my Kindle and comes out soon. Another masterpiece to look forward to.
Movie Thoughts
I mentioned in my last post that I would ask Thomas Olde Heuvelt if there has been any movie talk for his book Hex. I just sent him a message today, so I do not have that info yet. I would really love to see it brought to life. However, we do have the possibility with The Exorcist’s House. I also really enjoyed the two book trailers Guy Quintero made for his debut novel. He plays the role of voodoo priest, Edjewale. You can watch both on his Instagram profile HERE. This link sends you to one of the trailers. The other is pinned to the top of his feed.