From now until Halloween, I’m focussing my reading on Halloween Bingo. I’ll use these posts to talk about the squares I’m reading for, the books I’ve selected and the state of my bingo card.
‘The Story Keeper’ by Anna Mazzola (2018)
Any fairy tale or retelling of fairy tales, folklore, legends, etc.
I was going to read ‘Lost Boy’, the story of how Captain Hook came to be Captain Hook, for this square but it got bumped after my wife read ‘The Story Keeper’ and strongly recommended it. While it’s not a retelling of a specific fairy tale, it is centred around the power of folk tales and what happens to a society that forgets its traditional tales and the warnings and wisdom they contain.
What calls to me about the book? It’s an historical mystery set on the Isle of Skye, It’s a book about stories, it has threatening birds that may or may not be the spirits of the dead and it has a strong female lead.
I’m hoping for a strong plot and a spooky atmosphere.
‘Body Language’ by A. K Turner (2020)
A mystery with a main character who is not a member of law enforcement. This can include retired police officers and private detectives.
‘Body Language’ appeals to me because, of all the amateur sleuths I might have found for this square, who could be a better fit for Halloween than a crime-solving goth-girl mortuary technician who talks to the dead? It’s also the first book in a new series. It and its sequel were both favourably received.
I’m hoping for something original and fun that will tempt me to read everything in this series and go back and read the three books that the author published under the name Anya Lipska.
‘Chills‘ by Mary Sangiovanni (2015)
A book that takes place primarily in a winter/cold/snow type setting. Yes, that is Jack Nicholson scurrying around in the snow with a knife in his hand. Hellloooo, Johnny,
I’ve been looking to sample something by Mary Sangiovanni for a while now. I’d meant to start with her ‘Hollower’ trilogy but once I saw what a good fit ‘Chills’ would be for the Ice Cold Fear square, I had to go with it.
I was hooked by this blurb:
True Detective” meets H.P. Lovecraft in this chilling novel of murder, mystery, and slow-mounting dread.
I’m called to the book because it’s the first book in the Kathy Rayan series that currently stands at four books, it manages to have a snowstorm in May and I suspect that Elder Gods and tentacles will make an appearance.
Bingo Card Status
No squares have been called yet, so I’m just reading down the first column.
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