Spooky Archives

If you’re a seasonal reader looking for a spooky novel with just enough gossip and drama to keep you interested, look no further. This is the book for you.

Set on and around Halloween, the author creates an eerie atmosphere and serves up a couple of chills along the way. There isn’t a whole lot of depth or deep thinking, but that’s okay. The plot skims along and keeps the reader entertained from beginning to end.

Theresa is happy to have moved into her idea of a perfect house – but there is an undercurrent of unease in the neighborhood. It could just be the season because the annual Halloween block party is coming up. Or there could be past events coming back to haunt the residents of Ivy Woods.

Maybe it’s both.

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I thought that the author set the tone in an excellent manner, introducing the story with a mystery narrator. It was atmospheric, and the continued narration scattered throughout the chapters was eerie.

I keep using those words (creepy and eerie). Honestly, I typed them in my notes several times as I was reading. I can’t stress enough how atmospheric the story was.

And that attention to making it spooky and creating doubt as to what was going on and who was responsible is what absolutely makes this novel.

There are plot points that seemed thin and a few things that just didn’t ring true. For example, Kendra’s attitude toward younger women seemed to be thrown in merely for motivation – there wasn’t a lot of backup or other examples of why she felt that way. The same could be said for the rest of the Ivies…there wasn’t a lot of depth or follow up to their characters.

But once again, that didn’t matter to me, because that’s not how I was reading the book. I took it for a fun October read with a few surprises and I thoroughly enjoyed it for that.

So just let yourself skate along with the narrative. Don’t think too much or expect deep revelations. Think of it as a favorite scary movie that you watch every year.

If you do that, you’ll definitely enjoy this book.

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AUTHOR BIO

TARA LASKOWSKI is the author of One Night Gone, which won an Agatha Award, Macavity Award, and Anthony Award, and was a finalist for the Mary Higgins Clark Award, Left Coast Crime Award, Strand Critics’ Award, and Library of Virginia Literary Award. She is also the author of two short story collections, Modern Manners for Your Inner Demons and Bystanders, has published stories in Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine and Mid-American Review, among others, and is the former editor of SmokeLong Quarterly. Tara earned a BA in English from Susquehanna University and an MFA from George Mason University and currently lives in Virginia. Find her on Twitter and Instagram, @TaraLWrites.

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In my review of the previous book, Her Last Mistake, I wrote that “there were a few times I felt that Gina’s memories bogged the plot down. I wanted to get back to the action of the story.”

Well, I got my wish. This time Gina’s past actually becomes more of the story (more on that in just a minute).

As with previous books, the author jumps right into the action, giving the reader a peek into an event in the past, 24 year ago…but of whose past we’re not quite sure. We then jump forward 12 years to another incident, but still with no real clue as to the connections.

I love the way this author set all of that up, because when we get to present day, we have some sort of background on current events; we know more than the police do, anyway. Not that it helps too much, because as always, this is a clever plot that keeps the reader guessing.

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I will also mention now that it’s set around the end of October, so it’s excellent reading for this time of year. While it’s still a cracking good investigation, there’s a spooky element to it that fits the season perfectly.

As always, the team works together smoothly. We get a few more insights into their dynamics, but for the most part, it’s just good, steady investigative work from everyone.

As to Gina’s personal matter, we know from past books that Gina has some traumas that have left her scarred and shaken. This time, one surfaces in the most unexpected way. As she is busy with the case at hand, she also has to determine what the truth is about this new twist from her past.

It all weaves together for a page-turning crime thriller. And a special shout out to the title which has an awesome double meaning.

Sometimes it’s difficult to write a review about a series, especially when it gets to later books, because the “newness” may wear off. When that happens, later books can seem repetitive.

However, there is something to be said about knowing that you are going to get a solid criminal investigation with interesting plot points (and twists), engaging characters, and a ruthless killer.

That’s what you get here, and it’s another winner.

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Author Bio:

Carla Kovach was born in Birmingham, UK and now resides in Redditch, Worcestershire. Author of supernatural drama ‘Flame,’ psychological thriller ‘To Let,’ crime thriller ‘Whispers Beneath the Pines,’ and holiday comedy, ‘Meet Me at Marmaris Castle.’ Carla also writes stage and screenplays, some of which have been produced in the Worcestershire area.