“Children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death…” Matthew 10:21 (NASB)
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“Children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death…” Matthew 10:21 (NASB)
Local librarian brutally murdered a few days before Halloween was just the start, following night cars tires are slashed, stranding Autumn Creek’s residents with phones not working and rendering them vulnerable when Prank Night starts.
Leaning back into the house, Cali flipped the light-switch next to the door paneling. Expecting her porch light to come on, it remained dark. What the…? She tried a couple more times to no avail, and looked up at the fixture. The bulb was gone. Her throat tightened. Her scalp went prickly. She always kept a working bulb in there. Someone, whoever smashed her window and the pumpkin no doubt, had taken the bulb.
So, when a very different kind of trick-or-treating begins, with terror, blood and mayhem flowing through the previously quiet town, is really going to be a night to remember for an elementary school teacher, local pastor and his family, and a couple of survived law enforcers… assuming they survive Prank Night.
Finally the other ghost, whose sheets were plaid and white, stopped taking pictures. He joined the other ghosts, towering over her. None of them spoke. They just gazed at her blankly and motionless. “What do you want from me?” It was pointless to ask, because she doubted they would answer. And, even if they would, she didn’t want to know what they would say.
Kristopher Rufty’s Prank Night was a real blast of a read for me, a just perfect Halloween tale filled with plenty of thrills, twists, shocks and suspenseful moments that gave me chills at times, with its deliciously Richard Laymon’s vibes and creepy atmosphere, keeping me on the edge and leaving me guess who was going to survive in the end… if any had survived.
“Of course.” Ben paused. “Murderers? Plural?” Warner put his glasses back on and nodded. “Yes. There were multiple knives used on her and, now I’m only guessing, but I believe they were used simultaneously. From the numerous points of penetration, it looks as if there were at least five different knives…used by different hands. This is just an assumption, but I believe there were two, maybe more, killers.” “Shit.”
I totally love how the author's style is similar to Richard Laymon’s one with adding a personal cinematic touch, let’s say that I was just expecting an Halloween slasher before reading this book but what I got was instead one of the most brutal incipits I’ve ever read in my life followed by a slow burn worldbuilding/characters fleshing read turning quickly into a fast paced page turning horrific roller coaster that kept me nailed to my kindle reading it.
They headed outside. The cool air was a frosty slap on her warm skin. She wished she’d have thought to grab her jacket. She decided to leave it, not wanting to risk another groan from her son for having to go back inside. And because of the phone call, for the first time since moving to Autumn Creek she locked the door.
Just imagine Halloween (1978) meets Trick ‘r Treat (2007), The Crazies (1973, but I enjoyed the 2010 remake too) Children of the Corn (1984), The Strangers (2008), Sinister (2012), Assault on Precinct 13 (1976), The Purge (2013) and you still have no idea what is waiting for you here, with so much to keep you intrigued right to last page.
A crudely fashioned hood covered his head, and for a face, black ovals had been painted for eyes and a mouth. As disturbing as the attire was, it wasn’t what bothered Greg the most. What had him nervous, had his back feeling as if it were being scraped with an icy fork were the knives. One was clasped in each hand, gummy spatters of blood blemishing their surfaces.
One of best Halloween reads I had in my life, far better, horrifying and entertaining, than expected, that left me craving for more.
“Why did you kill her?” Nothing still. “What is going to happen tonight?” She looked at him. “It’s already happening.” “What’s been happening?” “Prank Night.” “Prank…what?” He shook his head, grimacing as if he’d eaten something fetid. “And you’re too late to stop it.” Suddenly she looked away, revolving back to the blank, mannequin-like persona she had been as if her batteries had died.
Highly recommended to all grown up trick or treaters out there who don't mind reading a scary gore drenched story or two on cold October nights....more
“Nah. These aren’t . . . my kind of stories. They’re your kind. Plus, they’re the kind you could probably use, right now.” My mouth fell open. [image]
“Nah. These aren’t . . . my kind of stories. They’re your kind. Plus, they’re the kind you could probably use, right now.” My mouth fell open. I probably gaped like a fish for several minutes before I summoned the wherewithal to stammer, “They’re Halloween stories? From Clifton Heights?” He didn’t say anything. Just shrugged, and held the book out to me.
October Nights, first book I’ve read from writer Kevin Lucia, impulsively purchased while I was looking for an halloween themed read on internet because of its amazing atmospheric cover from artist and illustrator Ben Baldwin, not knowing at all was fifth in a series, is an entertaining collection of four interconnected halloween themed stories set in Clifton Heights, a creepy small town recurring as a setting in author’s works with nothing to envy its more famous colleagues like Castle Rock, Green Town, Oxrun Station and many more.
“You need to let go, Peter.” His words touched me. I almost gave in, right then and there. Almost let go of the pain and anger. But I couldn’t forget Evan’s sightless gaze. The shopkeeper, maybe feeling the tension in my arm, said again, “You don’t have to do this.” I pulled myself from him and walked away, heading to the door. “Happy Halloween,” I said quietly. “Maybe I’ll stop by again next year.”
Because everyday is Halloween in Clifton Heights, strange things happened there during its history, and stranger ones are going to happen on these October Nights, when a priest is conflicted about breaking the sanctity of the sacrament after hearing a ghostly confession, a former basketball player gets a supernatural chance to remake his fortune at the risk of losing everything, a pastor with a penchant for horror films faces his fears and faults at last falling in a living nightmare, and two people with extraordinary gifts have a final showdown against darkness and pain incarnated on All Hallows' Eve night.
“Right. Anyway. Thanks again.” He turned to leave, made it as far as the door, but stopped with his hand on the doorknob when the shopkeeper said, “Mr Cassidy?” Micah faced him. “Yeah?” “Clifton Heights is a small town. Filled mostly with good-natured folks. However, it’s also Halloween night. A night on which some folks simply . . . do not act themselves.”
Totally loved these four creepy, atmospheric and well written, subtly interconnected tales for a nearly perfect Halloween small town horror read, but first one The Rage of Achilles was one step above the others in my opinion, a deliciously classic and eerie set-up for the following ones. Highly recommended to all fans of Stephen King and Ray Bradbury, looking for a spooky page turning read with lots of The Twilight Zone (1959), Tales From The Darkside (1983), Tales From The Crypt (1989) tv shows vibes.
Micah briefly thought about getting back into his truck and driving it into the parking lot, but panning his flashlight back and forth, he saw several downed trees blocking the way. He could step around them, but not drive around them. He paused, thinking one last time about going home. Then, without further hesitation, Micah entered Blackfoot Valley Sports Camp for the last time.
My first book by Kevin Lucia is definitely not going to be my last, I already got Things Slip Through, book one of the series, for my kindle and just can’t wait to visit Clifton Heights again next year… on dark and cold October Nights.
His wording sounded odd, but I nodded. “Sure. Why not?” He slapped the outside of the car door. “Fantastic. I’ve got such sights to show you, my friend.” The car throbbed to life. He raised the window and backed out of the space next to my car. For a moment I stood facing the midnight-black Monte Carlo, feeling distinctly like James Brolin facing down a demonic Lincoln Continental.
“I’ve got an idea,” I said. “If we scare him enough, he might go home on his own.” “How do we do that?” Jeremy said, bringing the piece of late[image]
“I’ve got an idea,” I said. “If we scare him enough, he might go home on his own.” “How do we do that?” Jeremy said, bringing the piece of latex to his nose and sniffing it. “We take him to the house on Cottage Lane,” I said.
A wicked quick Halloween read. Not bad at all, but in the end it was probably too much short and left me craving for much more. 3.5 stars rounded up by the spooky, twisted and creepy ending....more
Gianfranco
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halloween-readings
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