BOOK REVIEW: The Dark Game by Jonathan Janz

When 10 authors are invited to a writing retreat/contest at reclusive writer Roderick Wells's secluded estate, they can't believe their luck at getting the chance to be mentored by a literary genius. Not to mention, one winner chosen by Wells will get $3 million and a publishing contract. But the writers soon come to realize maybe they weren't so lucky after all when they start disappearing one by one.

I'm a huge fan of Jonathan Janz and his latest book, The Dark Game, did not disappoint. I love books about writers, especially when those books contain excepts from the characters' works in progress. Several chapters in The Dark Game are excerpts from the novels the writers in the book are working on at the retreat. I especially liked how one of the characters was writing a book called The Siren and the Specter, which is another Janz novel.

Even though there are a lot of characters in the book, I found it easy to tell each of them apart because they were all well-developed and each writer had a distinct voice and writing style. I also really enjoyed the slow reveal of each character's dark past.

The setting—an old mansion in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by spooky woods—was made even creepier by the fact that the writers had to wear blindfolds while they were chauffeured there, so they had no clue where they were. There are lots of scenes with the characters exploring the mysterious grounds that add to the eerie mood.

If you're a horror fan and you haven't read Jonathan Janz yet, you should definitely check out his work. The Dark Game is a creepy and fast-paced read with excellent characterization. I also highly recommend Janz's other novels, Children of the Dark, The Sorrows, and The Siren and the Specter.

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: 4/5

BOOK REVIEW: The Siren and the Specter by Jonathan Janz

I loved both Children of the Dark and The Sorrows by Jonathan Janz, so I was really looking forward to reading The Siren and the Specter, and it did not disappoint.

Alexander House is a famously (supposedly) haunted house, recently purchased by a couple planning to turn it into a tourist attraction. They ask David Caine, an old friend and skeptic who writes books that debunk famed "hauntings," to investigate Alexander House, hoping he will write about having a supernatural encounter in the house, thereby attracting tourists. David assumes this is like all the other "haunted" houses he's written about and is prepared to disprove yet another legend. But Alexander House has a dark past. It was the site of horrible crimes committed by Judson Alexander, a depraved man who still haunts the house, as David is about to find out.

This was a very spooky haunted house story. All the scenes with "the long bedroom" creeped me out so much. Judson Alexander was a great villain and I really enjoyed the parts of the book that spoke of the disturbing things he did in the past.

The only problem I had with the book was that the main character, David, was unlikable and I had a hard time understanding some of his motivations and his selfishness - at least until a bit of his childhood was explained later in the book. I had a hard time rooting for him, but I liked Sheriff Harkless and David's love interest, Jessica, so there were a few characters I could connect with.

The Siren and the Specter is an unsettling ghost story that would make an excellent Halloween read this October.

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: 4/5