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| HOME | WESTERN | CRIME and MYSTERY | ROMANCE | CHRISTIAN | SCI-FI | FANTASY | HORROR Authors: A through M | N through Z |
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| Andrews, V.C. | Petals on the Wind |
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Publication Date |
1980 |
| Number of Pages | 439 |
| Geographical Setting | "American South" - Virginia and North Carolina |
| Time Period | Approximately a 10-year period - beginning November,1960 |
| Series | Second of four books in the Dollanganger series (aka "Flowers in the Attic" series.) [ 1.) Flowers in the Attic, 2.) Petals on the Wind, 3.) If there be Thorns, and 4.) Seeds of Yesterday.] |
| Plot Summary | The young Dollanganger siblings have finally escaped from their horrible three-year imprisonment in their grandparents' attic. Unrealistically fleeing to Florida to join the circus, the sickly youngsters are guided to the home of a doctor who offers them a safe refuge, restores their health and encourages the two oldest to follow their true dreams. As 18-year-old Chris studies to become the doctor he has always hoped to be, he tries to forgive and forget the horror of their past. 15-year-old Kathy, on the other hand, is consumed with a bitter hatred for the mother who abandoned them, and carefully plots her revenge as she strives to become a world-class ballerina. New characters are introduced into the series as some old ones leave. |
| Appeal | Gothic horror/romance. First person narrative. Teenage protagonists. |
| Notes | Violence, sex, and incestuous relationships. |
| Reviewer/Date | Jacquie Foster 8/10/2000 |
| Bradbury, Ray | Something Wicked This Way Comes |
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Publication Date |
1962 |
| Number of Pages | 215 |
| Geographical Setting | Green Town, a small fictional American town in Illinois |
| Time Period | 1960s |
| Plot Summary | Best friends Jim Nightshade (born on Halloween) and Will Halloway (born on All Saints’ Day) are just about to turn fourteen when what looks like a regular carnival comes to their small town one strange October night. However, Cooger & Dark's Pandemonium Shadow Show has several unusual attractions, including a carrousel, that makes the rider younger or older depending on the direction it turns, and a hall of mirrors, which can reveal a person’s true nature. The strange and evil Mr. Dark and Mr. Cooger, who have been operating the carnival since time began, are out to destroy every life who is drawn to the mysterious and sinister production. The weird carnival promises fulfillment of dreams and youth renewed in return for a price- one soul. The boys battle against supernatural evil and try to resist the temptation to let the show, the very show that is destroying the lives of people they know, take possession of their souls. |
| Appeal | Thought provoking and nostalgic allegory with themes of good and evil and truth and deception. Chilling modern gothic fantasy with poetic and lyrical writing dense with imagery and metaphors. |
| Notes | Supernatural happenings; Dark themes; Emphasis on death and dying. Ray Bradbury, called the “Shakespeare of science fiction,” has received many awards including the O. Henry Memorial Award, the Benjamin Franklin Award, the Aviation-Space Writers Association Award, the World Fantasy Award for lifetime achievement, and the Grand Master Award from the Science Fiction Writers of America. |
| Reviewer/Date | Juliana Punt 8/10/00 |
| Goingback, Owl | Crota |
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Publication Date |
1998 |
| Number of Pages | 320 |
| Geographical Setting | Rural Missouri |
| Time Period | Current day |
| Plot Summary | It is called Crota…a monstrous, ancient creature that has reawakened to wreak havoc on rural Hobbs County, Missouri. Sheriff Skip Harding is called out to investigate a particularly grisly double slaying, unlike anything he has experienced. Some ascribe the killings to a bear, others to a vicious serial murderer. While Harding and undersheriff Lloyd Baxter investigate these possibilities, Cherokee game warden Jay Little Hawk undertakes a sweat lodge rite and deduces that the killings are the result of the Crota. Two centuries before, the Crota had risen to threaten the Creek nation of present-day Missouri, and had been sealed in a cave through the sacrifice of dozens of Creek Indian warriors. Baxter openly scorns Little Hawk’s theory, even as the slayings continue. As sightings of the Crota increase and conventional means cannot stop the killings, Harding, himself one-quarter Cheyenne, accepts Little Hawk’s offer of aid to put a stop to the Crota forever… |
| Appeal | Suspenseful horror based in Native American legend (the author himself is Choctaw-Cherokee). Winner of the Bram Stoker Award for a first novel. |
| Notes | Graphic descriptions of killings and eviscerations. A few pointed comments about whites from some of the Native American characters. |
| Reviewer/Date | John F. McPike 8/11/2000 |
| Harris, Thomas | Red Dragon |
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Publication Date |
1981 |
| Number of Pages | 354 |
| Geographical Setting | St Louis, MO and Atlanta, GA |
| Time Period | Early 1980's |
| Series | Hannibal Lecter |
| Plot Summary | Former FBI agent Will Graham comes out of early retirement to track an extremely brutal serial killer named The Dragon, who murders entire families. Graham makes the mistake of consulting his imprisoned enemy, Hannibal "The Cannibal" Lecter, for help on the current case. Meanwhile, The Dragon is preparing to strike in another home. With the intuition and insight of perhaps a madman himself, Graham examines every piece of evidence and follows many trails that eventually lead him to the killer's home. |
| Appeal | A police procedural. A psychological thriller. Horrifying, detailed descriptions take the reader into the mind of a serial killer. |
| Notes | Ultra-violent murder scenes. Several references to masturbation. Graphic language. Potentially offensive racial terms, such as, "negro" and "oriental." |
| Reviewer/Date | Yvonne Ng 8/10/2000 |
| Harris, Thomas | Hannibal |
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Publication Date |
1999 |
| Number of Pages | 544 |
| Geographical Setting | USA and Italy |
| Time Period | Now |
| Similar Authors/Titles | This is the second of two books. The first book was Silence of the Lambs. This book is classified with works such as Psycho by Robert Bloch and Misery by Stephen King. |
| Plot Summary | The murderer Hannibal Lector escaped from a mental hospital seven years. He recently reappeared and Clarice Starling, an FBI agent, has been assigned the duty of finding him. Clarice knows him from his stay in the mental hospital. Dr. Lector has been known to kill and in some cases, eat his victims. He is on the FBI's most wanted list. Other people also want to find Dr. Lector. They want to give him a very slow and painful death. Dr. Lector has responded with quick and very brutal murders. Who will find him first, Clarice or his enemies? Will anyone stop him before he kills more or will he continue murdering anyone who stands in his path? |
| Appeal | This book appeals to people who are interested in serial killers, like action and like being frightened. |
| Notes | The murders are graphic and brutal. This book is not for the timid. |
| Reviewer/Date | David Stephens August 10, 2000 |
| Hays, Clark and Kathleen McFall | The Cowboy and the Vampire; A Very Unusual Romance |
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Publication Date |
1999 |
| Number of Pages | 318 |
| Geographical Setting | Lone Pine, Wyoming, New York City, and Santa Fe, New Mexico |
| Time Period | The year 2001 |
| Plot Summary | Lizzie Vaughan, a reporter from New York, discovers that in her veins runs 2000 years of royal vampire blood. Fleeing hordes of evil vampires, led by the destructive Julius, Lizzie runs to the waiting arms of her boyfriend, Tucker, Wyoming's "last living cowboy." But the vampires follow her tracks, kidnap her, and return her to New York, where Julius converts her to one of his kind. Tucker and his loyal dog, Rex, find the converted and confused Lizzie, and escape with her to the hot sands of Santa Fe, and to the welcoming arms of the vampire Lazarus, Julius' arch enemy. What follows is a war between the dark forces that will ultimately decide the fate of humankind and the future of Tucker and Lizzie's love. |
| Appeal | First person narrative from both Lizzie and Tucker. Aa refreshing, witty blend of western mentality and dialect with romance and horror. Creative, philosophical discussions regarding good, evil, and human morality. Well-developed, unique characterizations. A quick, humorous, and engaging read--fantastic!! |
| Notes | Controversial interpretations of the Bible. Moderate violence, sexual relations, and blood drinking. |
| Reviewer/Date | Mary Pezzetti 7/8/00 |
| Hays, Clark and Kathleen McFall | The Cowboy and the Vampire |
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Publication Date |
1999 |
| Number of Pages | 318 |
| Geographical Setting | LonePine, a mythical town in Wyoming, Manhattan, & the Lazarus Complex, New Mexico |
| Time Period | 1990's |
| Plot Summary | Lizzie Vaughan, a reporter for Harrold Magazine, meets Tucker in LonePine, Wyoming, producing a romantic fling, and a story called The Last Cowboy. Back in Manhattan, Lizzie thinks Tucker may be temporary, while Tucker thinks he's not ready to change his lifestyle (double-wide trailer, faithful dog Rex, vain horse Snort, and invading Alpacas) to allow a woman in his world. Lizzie's new assignment, a story on vampires, becomes very weird when she meets a man called Julian and he proceeds to cut the throats of 20 willing victims. Her escape to Tucker in Wyoming is a happy reunion until vampires kill Snort, nearly kill Tucker, and steal Lizzie back to Julian's Manhattan stronghold of vampires. Julian, one of the two strongest vampires on earth, wants to turn Lizzie into the Queen of the vampires, securing immeasurable power for himself, while causing the "uncreation," which will leave all Adamites (humans) and the world vulnerable to destruction by evil. Lazarus, the other master vampire, is determined to stop Julian and save Lizzie. Elita, a jealous vamp of a vampire, Tucker's friend Lenny, a manic munitions-expert, Tucker's loyal dad, Jenkins, a vampire servant, and Sully, Lizzie's vampire guardian, join mercenaries and vampires to fight a history-changing war between Julius and Lazarus. One everyday act and one common emotion ultimately decide the outcome. |
| Appeal | Dual viewpoints of male & female authors; colorful and believable characters; country-flavored dialog; comic moments; vampire bible excerpts; good versus evil theme. |
| Notes | Incest, violence, sexual scenes and references; explicit language, vampire bible (paralleling Christian bible) |
| Reviewer/Date | Patricia S. Harrison, 8/10/2000 |
| James, Henry | Turn of the Screw |
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Publication Date |
1898 |
| Number of Pages | 114 |
| Geographical Setting | England |
| Time Period | Late 19th century/Victorian period |
| Plot Summary | A gathering of holiday merrymakers assemble around a fireplace on Christmas Eve as a member of their group recounts a chilling tale from the journal of a young governess. The narrative begins in London when a charming country gentleman, known only as the Master, employs a young, inexperienced woman to work in his country mansion as governess for his orphaned niece and nephew. The Master stipulates that he is not ever, under any circumstances, to be bothered about the children. While impressed with the Master, his home and the beautiful children entrusted to her, the governess, nonetheless, has an ominous foreboding which intensifies when she encounters the malevolent apparitions of the previous governess and her lover. While only the governess can see these supernatural beings, she comes to believe that the children are somehow in league with them, and their souls endangered. A complex psychological battle of good and evil ensues as she attempts to save the children from the sinister influence of the evil spirits. |
| Appeal | Victorian English setting/Victorian ghost story. Gothic novella. |
| Notes | Vivid literary prose/Classic ethereal ghost story. Originally serialized. Repressed Victorian sexual allusions. |
| Reviewer/Date | Pamela Richards 8/10/00 |
| King, Stephen | Dolores Claiborne |
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Publication Date |
1993 |
| Number of Pages | 372 |
| Geographical Setting | Little Tall Island off the coast of Maine |
| Time Period | 1948-1993 |
| Plot Summary | Weaving a tale almost too incredible to believe, 65 year old Dolores Claiborne sits in the police station on Little Tall Island, confessing not to the murder that she was recently accused of, but to one that she was driven to commit 30 years earlier. That dark day in 1963 when a solar eclipse turned the day into night, Dolores' husband Joe St. George disappeared, only to be found dead a week later. Although the inhabitants of the small island always suspected Dolores of the murder, no one could have had any idea about the secret rage that finally drove her to do the unthinkable. As Dolores spills her compelling confession, the reader is introduced to vivid characters that have their own secrets to hide. As her wealthy bedridden employer is suddenly discovered dead in an unlikely accident, Dolores must speak frankly about her 45-year-long bizarre relationship with the cantankerous old woman recently plagued by supernatural spirits of the past, in order to clear her name. |
| Appeal | A quick-read horror novel that reads more like a mystery. Fast pacing keeps the reader hooked. Written as one long chapter with excellent characterizations. |
| Notes | Brief mention of the supernatural. Contains some graphic language and a few gory descriptions. A good introduction to King's work without the terror the author is known for. A foreword by the author in the Signet Book paperback edition introduces some geographical facts about the solar eclipse. King tells how this eclipse also plays a role in another story he wrote called Gerald's Game. |
| Reviewer/Date | Carolyn Tutt 8/10/00 |
| King, Stephen | Nightmares & Dreamscapes |
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Publication Date |
1993 |
| Number of Pages | 816 |
| Geographical Setting | Maine, New York, California, Nevada |
| Time Period | Stories move around in time ( present and recent past ). |
| Series | Night Shift (1978), Skeleton Crew ( 1985). |
| Plot Summary | A large short story collection of 23 titles of everyday people living in a dark world of supernatural monsters and events. "The Chattery Teeth," is about a set of novelty teeth turn predatory ; a solitary finger pokes out of a drain in "The Moving Finger" ; flies settle and die on an old pair of sneakers in "Sneakers"; a grandfather instructs his grandson on the elasticity of time in "My Pretty Pony"; the Nevada desert swallows a cadillac in "Dolan's Cadillac"; and a heartfelt piece about little league baseball, called "Head Down." |
| Appeal | Excellent storytelling. Short stories of horror and the supernatural and dark fantasy type. Generally, fast-paced, gripping and scary. |
| Notes | Stephen King is the master of horror fiction. Monsters, vampires. Violence, gruesome situations. "Introduction," written by King, describes the craft of his writing. "Notes" follow the stories and explain the sources of selected titles. This is his third collection of short stories. Also, writes as George Stark and Richard Bachman. |
| Reviewer/Date | Susan Cook 8/13/00 |
| King, Stephen | The Shining |
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Publication Date |
1977 |
| Number of Pages | 447 |
| Geographical Setting | Colorado, Florida |
| Time Period | The 1970's |
| Plot Summary | Jack Torrance, a struggling author, has become the temporary caretaker of the Overlook Hotel, high in the mountains of Colorado, while it is closed for the winter season. His wife and five-year-old son accompany him. While cleaning up the attic, he comes across a scrapbook that reveals many terrifying and disturbing events that have taken place at this hotel over the years. His son Danny, who has a psychic ability known as the "shine," begins to see and experience frightening images during this stay. An evil force gradually takes over Jack and uses him in an effort to destroy Danny so that it can absorb the boy's power. |
| Appeal | A classic horror novel that has been made into a movie. A suspenseful, frightening tale. Vivid, terrifying descriptions. Strong characterizations. |
| Notes | Graphic images of murder and bloodshed. Strong language. Some derogatory African-American terms. Graphic depictions of wife and child abuse. Multiple points of view. |
| Reviewer/Date | Donna Marie Atmur 8/10/00 |
| King, Stephen and Peter Straub | The Talisman |
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Publication Date |
1984 |
| Number of Pages | 646 |
| Geographical Setting | United States, The Territories |
| Time Period | September 15 - December 21, 1981 |
| Plot Summary | Running from his deceased father's business partner, twelve-year-old Jack and his mother, former B-movie actress Lily Cavanaugh Sawyer, end up in a small New Hampshire town, which proves to be no safe haven. As a sense of dread and foreboding envelopes Jack, Lily lies dying, and strange things begin to happen. In the Territories, a fantastical world both far and near in space and time, a Queen also lies dying. One of the few people who can travel between our world and the Territories, Jack is a reluctant yet determined champion. He embarks on a dangerous and terrifying quest to find the Talisman - the only means of salvation. Only if he reaches his goal will he save his mother, himself, and the Queen who is both familiar and unknown to him. |
| Appeal | Blend of fantasy and horror genres. Epic quest. Fast pacing. Werewolves and other were-creatures. |
| Notes | Violence. Adult language. |
| Reviewer/Date | Stefanie Frame 8/10/00 |
| Koontz, Dean R. | Tick Tock |
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Publication Date |
1996 |
| Number of Pages | 335 |
| Geographical Setting | Southern California |
| Time Period | 1990's |
| Plot Summary | Tommy Phan comes home one day to find a small cloth doll on his porch. Although he has no idea who sent it, HE soon finds a clue on his computer, a note saying, "The Deadline is dawn, ...Tick Tock." Within hours the doll begins to change and turns into a full size monster with the sole purpose of killing Tommy. Tommy runs for his life, knowing that he must stay alive until dawn. Unfortunately, he is not prepared to fight this devil doll and his chances of survival look slim. Enter the beautiful and mysterious Del, the woman who rescues him. Tommy knows she's trouble, but she could be the only one who can find out who's after him, and more importantly help him stay alive. |
| Appeal | Comic horror with funny dialog and good descriptions. Likeable off beat characters. |
| Notes | Contains magic, a monster and summoning spirits from the grave. Originally published as a paperback version which contains an explanatory note from the author. |
| Reviewer/Date | Sarah R. Comfort 8/10/00 |
| HOME | WESTERN | CRIME and MYSTERY | ROMANCE | CHRISTIAN | SCI-FI | FANTASY | HORROR Authors: A through M | N through Z |
