Over the years, I’ve sadly only read four or five books from James Newman since first discovering his books, while also purchasing many more because I knew I would never be disappointed. Last year I had the amazing opportunity to also finally meet him in person, one that I won’t soon forget, a major highlight of my trip to the Screams! event in Pennsylvania.
Animosity remains one of my all time favorite reads (I read it back in 2014), and I’ve read nearly 900 books at the time of this review, over the past 13 years since I started actually keeping track, so that goes to show how much I liked it. I felt it was long overdue to put myself on a Newman bender, so I went through all my bookshelves and the two tubs of even more books in my office closet, to find all the books I had yet to read of his.
Then I thought, why not share the joy, hopefully entice readers to go find one of his books maybe for the first or even tenth time and give them a thorough reading. You, like me, won’t be disappointed. I almost went without ratings too, just because honestly there wasn’t a dud among them, but for the sake of consistency, I felt it was worth doing.
So travel with me, as I weave you through a tapestry of seven reviews spanning collections, novellas, and novels, from the one and only James Newman.
The Forum
Ed Myzlowski’s had a rough day at work, his head is pounding, and all he wants to do is relax at home. When he gets to his study to finally unwind, he sees there is an email waiting for him in his inbox. Upon opening, it contains a graphic, vile picture, and directs him to a website along with login information. Why would Ed decide to click on the link? What disturbed part of his psyche would say ‘Go forth and venture into the darkness!’? Ed soon wonders that himself as deeper and darker secrets begin to show themselves within.
In this novella (I read it in the Cemetery Dance Signature Series format) you’ll squirm and probably cringe at the graphic depictions of humanity's most violent creatures. Where you’ll be taken and finally end up is not what you’ll expect, which really makes this another home run from the Newman collection. Twisted content, perfect pacing, it’s what I miss from a lot of books coming out these days, and James time and time again has done this so well.
Overall rating: A
The Long N’ Short Of It
This one was a nice mix for a collection. Flash fiction, short stories, and novellas all get pulled in to make this a fun read. Included are The Forum (which I read in a separate format above as a standalone), "Olden" (which I had previously read as part of the Delirium Books mini-hardcover collection), and others that are easy favorites new to me in this collection ("Revenge Flick!" and "A Serial Killer Walks Into a Bar…")
It was a quick read, the stories pulling you in multiple directions, and it was fun that some were set up in script format, as if you were reading a movie or play. If you haven’t read anything from James before, I would definitely recommend picking this one up to dab your toes in. Typically this is how I recommend authors to new readers, check out their short fiction first, get an idea of what you’re in for, and in this case I do believe the stories will instantly make you a fan.
Overall rating: B+
Ride or Die
Amelia is the perfect student, perfect daughter. When she finds out that her dad isn’t so perfect, it throws her life into a tailspin. Does she tell her mother of her husband’s infidelities? Does she let it slide and hopes it works its own way out? Or is there another path she can take to rectify the situation? Amelia must choose that venture, but the route chosen is not always the least volatile, just ask her two best friends.
In this quick novella, I enjoyed the premise, but it did start out a little slow. Around halfway through it really picked up momentum and became another level of brutal carnage. In the end, a good afternoon read that has some bite, just watch out for Delilah!
Overall rating: B
The Special (with Mark Steensland)
Jerry is mad at life. His job sucks, he’s tired and stressed, and he’s pretty sure that his wife is fooling around on him behind his back. When his friend Mike decides to take him out for a night on the town, he isn’t sure what he’s in for. Especially when Mike makes him put a bag over his head so Jerry won’t know where they’re going. When they reach their destination, Mike pays a sordid woman a handful of cash and tells Jerry he’s in for the time of his life. In the skeevy room he’s led to, Jerry finds a box with an ominous instruction label. Hesitant to comply, he finally gives in to temptation. What’s inside the box? How does the thing inside the box do what it does? All Jerry knows is that his life will never be the same after that night.
Another quick novella, this one starts strong and goes all the way to the end, keeping you engaged, sickened, and disturbed at the lengths the character goes to get his way. Definitely a highlight in this group of books for this review set.
Overall rating: A+
Ugly As Sin
The Widowmaker. One of the best wrestlers to ever grace this earth with their gigantic presence, has entered a new chapter. When Nick Bullman’s life is thrown a number of horrific curveballs, he must try to move on with his life in the only way he knows how. That’s when he receives a phone call that will forever alter his life, his daughter he has barely known in the past. Her call is not without grave concern, as she explains almost everything to her father.
With Nick being pulled into a pit of despair one direction and desperate times for his family in another, he must decide what he can do to help, and what laws he can bend without ending himself in the slammer. Will he make it out alive to tell the tale?
This was a fun story, but at times I felt the pacing and dialogue lacked, where I had to maybe re-read a paragraph with my mind wandering. In the end though, it really picked up pace in the latter half and the ending was delightful and worth it. If you like a mystery with some dabs of drama, drug runners, and violence, with a side of wrestling, this one is for you!
Overall rating: B
Dog Days O’ Summer (with Mark Allan Gunnells)
In the summer of ‘94, four young boys and the town they live in begin to endure unimaginable tragedies that shake them to their core. When they think it’s going to be a summer of fun is anything but. Who is to blame for bringing chaos and destruction so close to home? One of the boys soon takes it upon themselves to find out, but they get too close and the growls become louder. Will the boys be able to stop the menace, or will they only fall deeper into their own despair?
This coming of age tale starts out strong and really doesn’t dip a whole lot, keeping you reading to find out the mystery and feel engaged with the boys and what will happen to them. What starts out almost feeling a little bit like Stand By Me with the boys and their treehouse, definitely becomes a whole other beast. Definitely enjoyed this collaboration.
Overall rating: A-
The Wicked
Life in New York has become too much for Kate. She worries about the daily murders and gunshots ringing through the city hitting too close to home. Kate convinces her husband, David, that it would be much better to move way south. Somewhere safer, somewhere closer to her brother so that family is near, especially for their young daughter Becca.
What they don’t plan for is the new town they’re moving to having a dark secret, a secret beholden to an ancient form, one that can control you at a whim, and leave you torn and desolate. Leaving New York seemed like such a great idea, but was it really? Just watch out for the drunk Santa. Moloch!
I definitely enjoyed this book, but I think the slow burn throughout was a little drawn out for my taste at times. Not a bad book at all, some parts just took a little long. It was definitely a rollercoaster of a big thing happening, slow build up, big thing, and so on, so it kept you reading to know what would happen to the characters, and kept you involved for sure.
Overall rating: B
Written by Kyle Lybeck
Animosity remains one of my all time favorite reads (I read it back in 2014), and I’ve read nearly 900 books at the time of this review, over the past 13 years since I started actually keeping track, so that goes to show how much I liked it. I felt it was long overdue to put myself on a Newman bender, so I went through all my bookshelves and the two tubs of even more books in my office closet, to find all the books I had yet to read of his.Then I thought, why not share the joy, hopefully entice readers to go find one of his books maybe for the first or even tenth time and give them a thorough reading. You, like me, won’t be disappointed. I almost went without ratings too, just because honestly there wasn’t a dud among them, but for the sake of consistency, I felt it was worth doing.
So travel with me, as I weave you through a tapestry of seven reviews spanning collections, novellas, and novels, from the one and only James Newman.
The Forum
Ed Myzlowski’s had a rough day at work, his head is pounding, and all he wants to do is relax at home. When he gets to his study to finally unwind, he sees there is an email waiting for him in his inbox. Upon opening, it contains a graphic, vile picture, and directs him to a website along with login information. Why would Ed decide to click on the link? What disturbed part of his psyche would say ‘Go forth and venture into the darkness!’? Ed soon wonders that himself as deeper and darker secrets begin to show themselves within.
In this novella (I read it in the Cemetery Dance Signature Series format) you’ll squirm and probably cringe at the graphic depictions of humanity's most violent creatures. Where you’ll be taken and finally end up is not what you’ll expect, which really makes this another home run from the Newman collection. Twisted content, perfect pacing, it’s what I miss from a lot of books coming out these days, and James time and time again has done this so well.
Overall rating: A
The Long N’ Short Of It
This one was a nice mix for a collection. Flash fiction, short stories, and novellas all get pulled in to make this a fun read. Included are The Forum (which I read in a separate format above as a standalone), "Olden" (which I had previously read as part of the Delirium Books mini-hardcover collection), and others that are easy favorites new to me in this collection ("Revenge Flick!" and "A Serial Killer Walks Into a Bar…")
It was a quick read, the stories pulling you in multiple directions, and it was fun that some were set up in script format, as if you were reading a movie or play. If you haven’t read anything from James before, I would definitely recommend picking this one up to dab your toes in. Typically this is how I recommend authors to new readers, check out their short fiction first, get an idea of what you’re in for, and in this case I do believe the stories will instantly make you a fan.
Overall rating: B+
Ride or Die
Amelia is the perfect student, perfect daughter. When she finds out that her dad isn’t so perfect, it throws her life into a tailspin. Does she tell her mother of her husband’s infidelities? Does she let it slide and hopes it works its own way out? Or is there another path she can take to rectify the situation? Amelia must choose that venture, but the route chosen is not always the least volatile, just ask her two best friends.
In this quick novella, I enjoyed the premise, but it did start out a little slow. Around halfway through it really picked up momentum and became another level of brutal carnage. In the end, a good afternoon read that has some bite, just watch out for Delilah!
Overall rating: B
The Special (with Mark Steensland)Jerry is mad at life. His job sucks, he’s tired and stressed, and he’s pretty sure that his wife is fooling around on him behind his back. When his friend Mike decides to take him out for a night on the town, he isn’t sure what he’s in for. Especially when Mike makes him put a bag over his head so Jerry won’t know where they’re going. When they reach their destination, Mike pays a sordid woman a handful of cash and tells Jerry he’s in for the time of his life. In the skeevy room he’s led to, Jerry finds a box with an ominous instruction label. Hesitant to comply, he finally gives in to temptation. What’s inside the box? How does the thing inside the box do what it does? All Jerry knows is that his life will never be the same after that night.
Another quick novella, this one starts strong and goes all the way to the end, keeping you engaged, sickened, and disturbed at the lengths the character goes to get his way. Definitely a highlight in this group of books for this review set.
Overall rating: A+
Ugly As Sin
The Widowmaker. One of the best wrestlers to ever grace this earth with their gigantic presence, has entered a new chapter. When Nick Bullman’s life is thrown a number of horrific curveballs, he must try to move on with his life in the only way he knows how. That’s when he receives a phone call that will forever alter his life, his daughter he has barely known in the past. Her call is not without grave concern, as she explains almost everything to her father.
With Nick being pulled into a pit of despair one direction and desperate times for his family in another, he must decide what he can do to help, and what laws he can bend without ending himself in the slammer. Will he make it out alive to tell the tale?
This was a fun story, but at times I felt the pacing and dialogue lacked, where I had to maybe re-read a paragraph with my mind wandering. In the end though, it really picked up pace in the latter half and the ending was delightful and worth it. If you like a mystery with some dabs of drama, drug runners, and violence, with a side of wrestling, this one is for you!
Overall rating: B
Dog Days O’ Summer (with Mark Allan Gunnells)
In the summer of ‘94, four young boys and the town they live in begin to endure unimaginable tragedies that shake them to their core. When they think it’s going to be a summer of fun is anything but. Who is to blame for bringing chaos and destruction so close to home? One of the boys soon takes it upon themselves to find out, but they get too close and the growls become louder. Will the boys be able to stop the menace, or will they only fall deeper into their own despair?
This coming of age tale starts out strong and really doesn’t dip a whole lot, keeping you reading to find out the mystery and feel engaged with the boys and what will happen to them. What starts out almost feeling a little bit like Stand By Me with the boys and their treehouse, definitely becomes a whole other beast. Definitely enjoyed this collaboration.
Overall rating: A-
The Wicked
Life in New York has become too much for Kate. She worries about the daily murders and gunshots ringing through the city hitting too close to home. Kate convinces her husband, David, that it would be much better to move way south. Somewhere safer, somewhere closer to her brother so that family is near, especially for their young daughter Becca.
What they don’t plan for is the new town they’re moving to having a dark secret, a secret beholden to an ancient form, one that can control you at a whim, and leave you torn and desolate. Leaving New York seemed like such a great idea, but was it really? Just watch out for the drunk Santa. Moloch!
I definitely enjoyed this book, but I think the slow burn throughout was a little drawn out for my taste at times. Not a bad book at all, some parts just took a little long. It was definitely a rollercoaster of a big thing happening, slow build up, big thing, and so on, so it kept you reading to know what would happen to the characters, and kept you involved for sure.
Overall rating: B
Written by Kyle Lybeck
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