Suburban Hell (Kilmer)

Suburban Hell
Maureen Kilmer (2022)

[NO IMAGE, AUDIOBOOK ONLY]

(Not a review, just some notes to help me remember the things I've read. But written this way because it's the Internet, and some people will stumble across this page.)

This was a Pandemic Book Club alternate selection. The audiobook becam available while I was reading Starter Villain. I haven't included an image because that's my rule if I only listen to it. That said, I've had the paperback from the library on my nighstand for a couple of weeks and the ebook should be available soon. Since nothing about it turned me off, I will likely read it and update this post.

A capsule review: It starts with breaking ground for a she-shed and then turns into a Poltergeist possession novel. Poltergeist is referenced in the text.

I'll keep this brief until I edit it.

In a small planned community in the suburds where everyone knows everyone, one person, Liz, suddenly starts acting weird. Amy notices and tells her concerns to Jess and Melissa. But it isn't until after an incident with some dead bunnies that it gets creepy. And then Liz tries to kill Amy in a ditch where something evil or demonic is trying to attach itself to her.

This leads to learning about demonic possession and exorcism, as well as learning more about the area the development was built upon and who lived -- and died -- there. The good guys eventually win, but there's an epilogue that unravels the entire thing.

I have to say, I hate epilogues like that. They basically say, "Nope, we failed. Evil will continue to win unless we do it all again and again.

That in itself won't stop from reading the book, but I don't think I'd do a sequel that follows the story unless I get a strong recommendation from someone I trust. As it is, this is out of my "comfort zone" for pleasure reading.

If you stumbled across my page via the Internet, please check out my short book series, Burke Lore Briefs.

I Know What UFO Did Last Summer (Garone)

I Know What UFO Did Last Summer
Kevin Garone (2025)

(Not a review, just some notes to help me remember the things I've read. But written this way because it's the Internet, and some people will stumble across this page.)

I received an Advanced Reader Copy of this book (ebook). The following is what I plan to post on Library Thing:

I really liked this book. Twelve-year-old me would've loved this book. However, I think even young me might've found Marv's single-mindedness in seeing aliens and alien conspiracies everywhere to be a little tedious. He doesn't even refocus when confronted with both actual alien creatures and a real conspiracy while out one night searching the night sky for a possible invasion.

Marv's best fried Jace, aka Baller One, loves basketball and spew stats and history from memory, but he's still grounded in reality. Rounding out the group is their new neighbor, Nora, whom Marv gives the codename "Space Cadet". Marv believes she's actually an alien like her father but she might not be aware that she is. He also believes Nora's father knows something about the alien and the ship that appears in the woods.

After a freak lightning strike send Marv and Jace into the middle of the conspiracy, it's up to those meddling kids (and one dad) to save the day.

Four stars.

-----

If I had to give a rating on a scale of 1 to 5, I'd give it 4 because it was well-written, but Marv did get on my nerves sometimes. The story hits the mark for its target demo, in my opinion.

One comparison I might make about Marv is to Fox Mulder on X-Files. He believes in UFOs, and has an "I Want to Believe" poster in his office. That said, he doesn't see aliens and conspiracies in every case he investigates. He's aware of the conspiracies and can be a bit skeptical about evidence of aliens, and when he's not, he still has Dana Scully there to check things out and, hopefully, back him up.

Marv believes his neighbors are likely aliens from the moment they move in. In fact, I thought at first that they actually were and that the book was going to be set in a world where aliens had already settled among us. That was just my misunderstanding and my misreading of Marv's attitude. I guess I read so much science fiction that I thought "Of course, they're aliens" and not "There are no aliens living among us, duh!"

The father and the first "spaceman" who appears are both refugees from a scientific lab. They stole a prototype of a teleportation device before it can be used to take over the world by assassinating world leaders. The device has a couple of problems. First, there's a time lapse where the capsule reappears hours or even days after it disappears. Second, when it reappears, it's covered with "sleeches", what Marv names the small creatures that look like a cross between slugs and leeches.

When the capsule is later struck by lightning with Marv and Jace inside, the disappear for over a week, reappearing back inside the very lab that the ship was stolen from, there's a giant Sleech onboard, like the mother alien in Aliens compared to the eggs. The thing wreaks havoc with the lab, killing most of the security.

And one point, I would've expected or at least hoped that one of the security guards was going to turn against the evil villain if for no reason then the man was being ordered to his death because he wasn't going to be able to kill the thing when no one else could.

There is a "smart" move later on. They need to send the capsule somewhere where it can never be recovered with all the alien creatures aboard it, along with any new passengers that leech on the next time it jumps. But they need to capsule to get home, until Nora reminds them, "We're in Iowa." In other words, they don't need to teleport to Delaware. And they will be free to leave since just about everyone else is dead.

This was listed as "Alien Survival Guide (1)", so I have to assume more books in this series will follow. If I hear about them, I might check out one more just to see what direction the series takes.

If you stumbled across my page via the Internet, please check out my short book series, Burke Lore Briefs.

Audio: New Beginnings (Masters)

New Beginnings
C.C. Masters (2018)

[No image. Audio only]

(Not a review, just some notes to help me remember the things I've read. But written this way because it's the Internet, and some people will stumble across this page.)

This was basically a random selection from the Libby app. I needed something to listen to while walking. I chose Fantasy and looked for the shorter ones. There was one before this that was shorter which might've had a good story if not for all the "spicy" bits (basically, porn, but the "acceptable" kind).

The basics of the story: Lori lives with a pack of wolves who are usually human and go to human schools and everything is pretty normal. Except that her 18th birthday has arrived, and she knows that means that every male wolf in the pack that wants to have his way with her is welcome to do so. She has no rights and no longer has any protection. She's ready to attempt the first wolf through the door but it turns out to be her mother, who helps plan an escape.

The pack follows. Several die or are deeply wounded. Lori's mother is dead, so she has to continue alone. She hides in the back of a truck and manages to travel a great distance before sneaking out.

The new town seems friendly enough, and Lori is mistaken for a girl from the private school. She manages to get a job and a room at the Y (and a shower). She plans to lay low for a while.

There's abrupt narrative shift when suddenly a man's voice takes over. He's a wolf but not from her pack. He's one of four lone wolves without a pack who sense Lori's presence and start watching her. They think that she's been sent there to spy on them as there are no active packs around.

There's a clash between the wolves but Lori becomes part of the new pack. There's a lot of talk of pack dynamics. This small pack is opening a garage inside an old firehouse. A few people know who they really are, including one group (I don't remember the name of it) that runs tests on the wolves to learn more about them. Lori becomes a part of that in exchange for protection from her old pack.

There's not too much story here, other than her becoming part of a new pack and finding a place to fit in. The title "New Beginnings" should refer to that, but it also refers to an entire series being planned. (From what I've seen online, this is Hollow Crest Wolf Pack #1, and not a prequel.)

For one thing, there's much more to learn about that organization that helps them out. For another, the private school that doesn't associate with the town is a magic school. The only of the ice cream shop who hires Lori turns out to be not nice to say the least, and the owner of other garage in town has it out for the pack. (Plus the only cop we meet is corrupt.)

There's an epilogue setting up the next book with wolves from the old pack.

It was pleasant enough to listen to while walking. I don't think I'll look for it in print any time soon. Would I listen to Book #2? maybe. It's not my usual sub-genre but there was nothing wrong with it.

If you stumbled across my page via the Internet, please check out my short book series, Burke Lore Briefs.

Starter Villain (Scalzi)

Starter Villain
John Scalzi (2023)

(Not a review, just some notes to help me remember the things I've read. But written this way because it's the Internet, and some people will stumble across this page.)

This was a Pandemic Book Club book. The ebook became available pretty quickly.

A capsule review: If you like John's Scalzi's Redshirts but though it fell apart toward the end, then this book is for you!

That might not be the greatest of reviews, but fans of Redshirts will buy and love this book. People who liked the idea of Redshirts but not necessarily the execution will enjoy this one more.

The one thing off about the book is the cover. As much as I like the picture of the cat in a suit, the tagline "Meet Your New Boss" is misleading. Also, the main cat we interact with is female, and cover cat is wearing a male's suit and tie. Granted, that could be how the most enterprising female cats dress. In any case, the cats aren't the boss, although they might rank higher in the company than others, including the dolphins (who aren't happy about that).

Charlie is a substitute teacher who's living in his deceased father's house while he gets his life together. His much older half-siblings want the house sold already as the estate attorney keeps reminding him. (There's a clause in the will that allows Charlie to remain there.)

The one thing Charlie wants to do is buy an old pub now that the current owner is thinking of retiring. He hasn't got the money for it, and his piece of the house isn't enough collateral. His family would have nothing to do with it (or for that matter, with him, being a much younger half-brother).

His life changes when Mathilda “Til” Morrison shows up, introducing herself as the assistant of Charlie's estranged Uncle Jake who recently passed. Charlie initially wants nothing to do with him since Jake couldn't be bothered with Charlie. He finds out that this wasn't entirely true and that there were reasons. Morrison wants Charlie to stand for Jake at his wake and Jake's company would make it worth his while. For one thing, they'd buy Charlie's house through a shell company and then gift it to him.

The wake fills with business associates including one guy who is ready to stab Uncle Jake's corpse just to make sure. Charlie, in the heat of the moment, prevents it by pushing the guy. The stabber, suitably impressed, allows Charlie to live. Apparently, no one is there to mourn and everyone is there to make sure that Jake is actually dead.

By the time it's over, Jake heads home where he finds his two cats, Hera, who he's had for a long time, and Perseppone, who he recently found and adopted, sitting on the curb across the street from his house. He stops to get them, then sees someone in his bedroom. That someone sees him looking back and disappears. And then the house blows up.

Charlie isn't doing so well.

And then he finds out that his Uncle Jake was a Villain, like in James Bond, and that there's an entire community of villains, like SPECTRE, which might've been influenced by the real group.

Charlie flies to a volcano island lair and starts to learn the business. In a couple of days, he's expected for a special convocation in Italy where the other members will size him up and decide what to do next.

Antics ensue.

It was a fun novel and a quick read. I didn't really have any problems with it. Scalzi played with the usual tropes.

...

Anyway, this should've been posted a while ago. I don't remember if there was anything else I wanted to add.

The book club hasn't met yet to discuss this book, but I've already started on future possible books.

If you stumbled across my page via the Internet, please check out my short book series, Burke Lore Briefs.