With the days growing so warm, there are times when I actually emerge from the Skullcave and absorb some heat from my porch. Not sun! Goodness no! That would most likely be the end of your pal, Damaged Skull Writer. Like the bats that circle my home on hot summer nights, I am a creature of darkness.

Unlike bats, I enjoy reading speculative fiction and my latest favorite is SEEING THINGS by Sonora Taylor. So far, I’m about halfway through this tale about a teenager who can see things that no one else can. Hmm…Could be a handy skill or a whole lot of trouble…Want to find out more? Then keep your eyes on this page for a review coming soon from DAMAGED SKULL WRITER!

Want to read something from Sonora Taylor before her new novel comes out? I highly encourage you to try this excellent collection of short horror fiction, poetry, and flash LITTLE PARANOIAS

BURIED WITH THE NIGHT
Syon Das
May 20, 2020
Review by Brian James Lewis

Welcome to the Skullcave! Once again, it’s time to share the lowdown on a new release from the independent horror world. Syon Das has a new collection of short horror stories and a novelette out titled Buried With The Night. Sounds frightening, right? Well it is! So disturbing in fact, that Das provides the following warning to readers:

WARNING: This book contains descriptions of violence that some may find disturbing. Explicit language is used frequently. Reader discretion is advised.

In basic terms, this means that if you enjoy the work of Clive Barker, Karen Runge, and Morgan K. Tanner Buried With The Night will be an enjoyable read for you. If those authors frighten you in a bad way, then hustle back to your cozy mystery series that feature people baking cookies, knitting, and saying things like “Oh dear!” Not a slam on those books, but I want to be clear that you’ll be seeing a lot of blood, broken bones, and intestines. Got it? Like it? Excellent! Then follow me into Syon Das’ terror inducing world and make sure to wear safety glasses and a mask. There’s gonna be a lot of blood spatter!

Curtis is the novelette of the collection. We are sitting on a psychologist’s shoulder. He deals with troubled teenagers and most of what he does is pretty ho-hum stuff. But then there are a few “special” patients. This is about a young man named Curtis who is a truly disturbed individual. While the psychologist knows his patient is a very dangerous person who should be committed to an inpatient facility, he lives vicariously through the teen. While the doctor enjoys the release from his tight-assed, highly controlled life, things are happening in the background. Curtis wants to show the doc his neat new school project, and it sure as hell isn’t a birdhouse. Will the doctor enjoy his work or run away screaming?

Hot on the heels of that disturbing tale is Higher Learning. Things start off pretty messily when a college student offs himself but then quiet down per orders of the university. Since Josea was a big deal athlete, popular, and smart, many people mourn his death. He was clever, so they don’t what a total shitbird he was. Enter one of Josea’s high school bullying victims and the college custodian’s son who both have grudges. They have an underhanded business plan which seems foolproof. But it is ghost proof? All I can say is “What a ride, huh bud?”

Family can be a problem, right? Especially if they come calling after midnight on Halloween like Duncan and Daniel’s Aunt Katie does. She whirls in full of strange vibes and bad news. It seems that boys’ mother had an accident. But Aunt Katie is more concerned with looking sexy than she is about the boys’ questions. That’s all very unnerving, but what happens next will have you squirming in your seat. There’s nowhere to run…

This collection wraps with the chilling tale Darjeeling that I guarantee will give you the shivers. Because even when the words on the page stop, the story doesn’t really end. In fact, it looks like the beginning of evil adventures for a creature summoned by using a book of black magic. When a mansion in West Bengal is abandoned after family tragedy, the only person who stays on is the housekeeper. Things stay relatively stable until the housekeeper’s brother brings his scout troop to the mansion for a sleepover. The tragic mystery and a forbidden door are irresistible to the boys. They have to know what’s behind it! But the satisfaction of knowing is not without repercussions. Don’t read this one at lunchtime!

Buried With The Night is an impressive debut from Syon Das that earns FIVE STARS from Damaged Skull Writer. There’s lots of detail to put you smack dab on the end of a K-Bar hunting knife, in a dark college dorm room , or hidden in the trunk of a car. Das delivers the goods with a side of contemporary wit and some cool ethnic charm. I HIGHLY recommend this collection as the starter of your summer reading or the continuance of your quarantine entertainment. Whatever you do, don’t miss Buried With The Night stories by Syon Das. It’ll make you scream!

Thanks again for visiting Damaged Skull Writer to check out the latest and greatest new indie writer from NYC SYON DAS! Besides scaring the hell out of people, Syon also teaches folks how to play the guitar. That’s his sensitive side. Want to know more about this guy? Maybe order a signed copy of his work? You can hit Syon up on Twitter@syon_das or(serious inquiries only please) Email him at: sdaswriting@gmail.com

UNDERWORLD DREAMS
Daniel Braum
Lethe Press
TBR September 2020
Reviewed by Brian James Lewis

Welcome once again to the Skullcave! In honor of the warm weather Finally arriving, I have set up an outdoor reading space on my front porch where I can listen to jazz and let my brain travel while pretending to be normal. The first book I’m reading here is Underworld Dreams by Daniel Braum, a collection of unsettling short fiction that will shake you up and leave you thinking long after you’ve finished taking it in. This fine book will be coming your way in fall 2020 from the home of unique publications-LETHE PRESS! This press champions different, with a strong focus on LGTBQ writers and audiences, and Damaged Skull Writer welcomes diversity, so let’s take a peek at what’s inside!

Starting the show is How To Stay Afloat When Drowning. This tale starts off as a story about saving the family business, but it’s also about a man coming to terms with himself and how his life has turned out, despite what he’d hoped for. He meets a strange, but intriguing woman at the bar, who reminds him of the events leading to his wife’s death. The family dynamic is uncomfortable, but the man loves his sister who owns the business. They share a strange family legacy of their parents being snatched up by a man who came to purchase a surfboard. Having the business survive requires entertaining a big bucks client and an obnoxious uncle with a shark hunting trip. It’s the usual big dick, ugly Americans killing animals to feel powerful affair. But it turns the client on so much, that he signs a contract. Hooray! Meanwhile something strange is happening to those who support shark hunting. A pair of “beautiful sharks seeking revenge on land” are making sure that plenty of blood and guts are spilled by both species. The dialog alone in this story is worth the trip into this Underworld Dream.

Sometimes though, a huge loss can be balanced out with magic and something like hope. Cloudland Earthbound gives us just that. Ben is the owner of a magical old dancehall named Cloudland. It’s a wonderful place that dates back to the era of big jazz bands, but also features touring rock and roll bands now and then. Unfortunately, a big developer conglomerate wants to take over Cloudland. Not to operate, but to destroy it and put up something modern and ugly in its place. Ben Myerson tries to take a stand against these people and their mythical leader, Sir Joh, but he doesn’t have the magic or the skills his father had. His son Aaron does, but Ben’s wife doesn’t want him involved with Cloudland. While Ben is at work trying to get things sorted, she takes the boy and slips away. Ben is distraught, weakened, but still determined to protect Cloudland and those who work there. Will things work out the way he wants them to, or is this “lynch pin site” destined for demolition? GREAT story!

What if you wanted something with every atom of your being and someone sketchy offered to help you get it? Would you take it, knowing that there might be a huge cost involved? In Tommy’s Shadow Marco wants to be number one, like Tommy is. He wants to look cool, have the best band at the high school talent show, and be the guy taking the beautiful Alana to the prom. Instead, he’s always going to be the far number two, maybe even three or four. The nerdy friend that Alana will be kind to and say his band is great, even though Tommy’s band is destined for Van Halen type fame. Then a treasure hunt in an abandoned mental institution yields up a nifty souvenir and a creepy new friend for Marco. The guy says he’d be happy to take care of Tommy. So against his buddy Richie’s advice, Marco takes the offer and waits smugly for results. At first, it appears that nothing is going to happen, then all hell breaks loose. Now Marco’s got what he wanted, but it isn’t fun anymore. More like being damned to an eternity of always being under Tommy’s Shadow. Heavy stuff!

Last, but certainly not least, is the wild “what the fuckness” of The Monkey Coat, starring an antique jacket made out of monkey fur. Do not miss this tale of absolute craziness involving this vintage player! “You know how they make them, right?” Is it really the coat or just the inherent wild beast inside all of us just waiting for an excuse to come out? Time to get naked, people!

So the question on everyone’s lips is, “Should I buy a copy of Underworld Dreams when it comes out around August?” The answer is a qualified “HELL YEAH!” This is FIVE BIG SPARKLY STARS of awesome reading that’s going to disturb you, make you think, and maybe even scare you a bit. Because Daniel Braum is a crazy good writer and Lethe Press puts out awesomely interesting books that you will want to suck through your eyeballs. Want to make a pre-order or learn more about this unique publisher? Then head on over to www.lethepressbooks.com They’ve got lots of great titles and bundles for you to check out! Maybe you’d like to learn more about Daniel Braum? Your wish is my command! Go to https://bloodandstardust.wordpress.com or visit www.facebook.com/DanielBraumFiction and my favorite place to be social, Twitter@danielbraum

Thanks again for visiting Damaged Skull Writer! Getting too damn sunny out here, so I must retreat back into the Skullcave before I turn to dust. Until next time, stay safe, be well, and love each other, because that’s the most important thing we have!   

A COLLECTION OF DREAMSCAPES
Poetry by Christina Sng
Raw Dog Screaming Press
April 16, 2020
Reviewed by Brian James Lewis

Howdy fellow speculative poetry fans! This award-winning poet has been nominated multiple times for the Dwarf Stars, Elgin, and Rhysling awards. She also won a Bram Stoker Award in 2017 for her first full length collection of speculative poetry A Collection Of Nightmares. I’m talking about Christina Sng, of course and today we’ll take a look at her most recent release A Collection Of Dreamscapes. Hot off the Raw Dog Screaming Press, this collection is going to turn what we learned as children upside down by empowering those who’ve been victims in fairy tales and mythology. By fixing our near gospel stories into positive tales, Sng is opening a new chapter in a brand-new world. Awesome, right?

A Collection Of Dreamscapes is grouped into chapters, making it easier for readers to look backwards in the looking glass at the new world created by Sng. They are:

The Love Song of Allegra
Fairy Tales
All The Monsters In The World
The Capacity of Violence
Myths And Dreamscapes

While these are lines drawn for reference, they’re not concrete bunkers blocking interplay between characters and the overall vibe of the book. A dreamy quality carries us on silken mists from poem to poem, so we can witness the hard-hitting action.

In Fairy Tales, Christina Sng’s version of Little Red Riding Hood isn’t afraid of the big, bad wolf at all. She’s got a crossbow and is busy drawing blood. The wolf’s tough guy suit is stripped from his shaking frame as he tries to hide from a merciless hunter who isn’t messing around. A quote from “The Woods” reads, “It was time to grow up; Time to hunt predators instead” Cinderella doesn’t hang around waiting for justice that probably isn’t coming, she steps up to her rightful place by becoming a warrior!

All The Monsters In The World gives us a fresh look at things. Sure, we’re all familiar with the classic monsters like Dracula, The Mummy, and Frankenstein, but Sng pulls back the curtain to show us who we really should be afraid of. Humans are pretty damn scary and predatory! Sometimes, in an ironic twist we even create the monsters that are turned against us by the ruling class government(Into The Tall Grass.)

Which brings us to The Capacity Of Violence. From day one of our lives, we are taught that violence is wrong. No fighting at school, don’t hit your brother, etc. So now we’re wimps that will avoid confrontation at any cost. But what if the violence is used to protect those we love or defend ourselves from sexual abuse(The Tooth Collector), cheating spouses(Dolls), and domestic violence(Inheritance)? We all have The Capacity Of Violence, the ability to use the tools given to us at birth. but only few can actually carry it out. Sng’s poems are beautiful because they offer release to victims. Breaking fingers and pulling teeth might sound harsh, but that only happens once. Compare that to the rape victims who re-live their trauma every day and I don’t feel a single bit bad.

Myths And Dreamscapes, along with the opening chapter, Love Songs Of Allegra are about recognizing and rewriting mythology where women take charge and kick ass. None of that fluffy little doll crap! “Moonlight In The Playground” brings science fiction in. There’s a family enjoying a playground, but these folks aren’t native to the planet. A cool surprise!

Overall, A Collection of Dreamscapes, poetry by Christina Sng is FIVE STAR amazing! This is a serious must-have for lovers of dark poetry with speculative, science fiction and fantasy melded together to hit you square in the brain! Everything I’ve read from Raw Dog Screaming Press has been a home run. Once again, they raise the bar! Shout out to Steven Archer for the beautiful cover art. Available at your favorite bookseller or www.RawDogScreaming.com Grab a copy of this fantastic poetry collection today!

Thanks again for reading another review from Damaged Skull Writer! It’s lonely in the Skullcave sometimes, so it is delightful when you drop by. Wishing you peace, health, and safety during the real life horror of the pandemic. Read when you can, so that your mind can soar even when your body is stuck at home!

Double Barrel Horror Vol. 3
Edited by Matthew Weber
Pint Bottle Press
March 31, 2020
Reviewed by Brian James Lewis

Howdy Horror Fans! I bet you’re looking for something really kickass to read right about now. You’ve watched movies, maybe read a novel or two, but now you want quick excitement that you don’t have to wait for. Well friends, the fine folks at Pint Bottle Press heard your cries of distress and have brought forth what you need! Double Barrel Horror Vol. 3 is jam packed with scary goodness and coming at you like the force of nature that it is! We’re talking 6 great authors menacing you with two stories each for a grand total of 12 Double Barrel Blasts to the Brain!  Roll call: Christine Morgan, Mark Matthews, Glenn Rolfe, Theresa Braun, Calvin Demmer, and Robert Essig. If you’re ready for a preview of all the greatness that awaits, let’s GO!

Christine Morgan chills us with Eye See You, a story that makes us wonder if Disneyland really is the happiest place on earth and what is it about a Magic 8-Ball that turns a party into a swirling hell of hurt and bad blood?

Robert Essig comes on strong with two heavy hitters, but the one that really blew my mind is Fuel For The King of Death! Scottie deals with a cheating girlfriend by going to a unique museum and by the next day he’s a completely different man! New life, horror, and the sweet taste of revenge. Yowza!

Let’s head to the carnival with Mark Matthews! On the outside, those places look like so much fun. There are rides, treats, and the chance to win a prize at one of the many games. But a closer look exposes dark things that prey on the young, taking something precious in hopes of creating a Wicked Smart Carnie. “Step right up! Or maybe “Run for your life!”

Theresa Braun brings her unique style of horror and mythology to the party with her tale Homecoming which features a Scottish castle and a shapeshifting woman named Melanie. She’s a beautiful opera star, but also something else that needs to be “home.” Her boyfriend of many years thinks they’re going on a romantic vacation to Scotland to rekindle the fire, but Melanie has other plans. As things get increasingly weird, the boyfriend zips them back home for safety’s sake. Did he make a wise choice? May-be!

My favorite two stories in Double Barrel Horror Vol. 3 are by Calvin Demmer. Highway Hunger has this great realistic feeling that makes it all the more scary when things fall apart. Dudley is stuck on community service for drunk driving. His job? Scraping dead animals off the road. That’s bad enough, but it gets even worse when the “Road Demon” makes the scene. Some things might not make any practical sense, but that doesn’t mean they can’t destroy you. Motel Madness puts Tallulah in a room that constantly changes. Door handles disappear, corpses enter without knocking, and she gets a special visit from the manager. White pills and wine can make for one very hot time.

Glenn Rolfe closes down the show with two powerful pieces The Guide, which is a home run all the way, and The House On Mayflower Street. Every neighborhood has a haunted house with a creepy owner, but this one takes the cake. When Davis and Bethany break into The House On Mayflower Street, they get a lot more than they bargained for. Their attackers may be tiny, but “Alice” plays hardball and he doesn’t EVER lose!

The Double Barrel Horror series from Pint Bottle Press are all great, but volume 3 ratchets things up a few notches. This is truly a FIVE STAR reading experience! Perfect length on the stories, top notch authors, and some seriously badass cover art by Brian Burks! Editor Matthew Weber has done it again, but even BETTER! Don’t sit around with the shut-in blues. Order yourself a copy of Double Barrel Horror Volume 3 TODAY! Just go to www.pintbottlepress.com for more information or hit up your favorite bookstore. You’ll be glad you did!

Thanks for visiting Damaged Skull Writer! We look forward to seeing you soon. Until then, “Keep Your Knives Sharp and Hide In The Dark.” Or maybe just read more books!

Choking Back The Devil
Poems by Donna Lynch
Raw Dog Screaming Press
July 17, 2019
Reviewed by Brian James Lewis

Hey, it’s National Poetry Month! So what better time to review some seriously powerful books? Today’s topic is Bram Stoker Award Finalist, Donna Lynch and her excellent poetry collection Choking Back The Devil. This book is not easy to categorize as just one type of poetry. There’s horror, of course, but many other things weave their way through this complex web. Mental illness, trespasses of the soul, and a discovery of one’s darker self. Everyone has a dark side, but many try to hide it away and ignore it. But is that wise?

David E. Cowen’s foreword does a great job of prepping us for the fiery world we are about to enter. He points out that Lynch “Is the shadow in the night…That leads us to the line between horror and mental illness. There is a streetwise wisdom here. Lynch has lived this pain…and stops to tell us her story.” Basically, nobody is talking about tea and crumpets here. The beautiful brilliance of the sun is quickly forgotten as we plunge into dangerous darkness, afraid of what we might find. So onward!

The first selection in Donna Lynch’s Choking Back The Devil is Legend, a powerful prayer for victims of abuse. Those that victimize and hurt you may leave their mark, but will receive all they’ve given you, multifold in return. They’ll fall to their knees screaming while your shadow laughs triumphantly.

Sacrifice reminds us that maybe we’re not all in this together. Well, not at the same level, anyway. A witch is stealing children and doing who knows what with them. But one person offers to protect, gather, and save the little ones. She helps the children make a plan to stay safe. Little do they know that the devil is hiding in their midst.

I like Honey, how about you? It’s important for you to know where your honey is produced. Between allergies, tolerance to certain pollens, possible contaminants…But don’t you worry. The sisters in this poem have special methods to produce their very special brand of Honey. There is a satisfying flavor of retribution, mixed with the sweet taste of decay. And as long as you stay in their village, everything will be fine.

Hopefully you enjoyed this taste of Choking Back The Devil by Donna Lynch! This is FIVE STAR reading that you can enjoy many times, like an incantation to change and harness the darkness deep inside. While this fine book may be available from your bookseller of choice, they might not be willing to ship it for a long time. So, Raw Dog Screaming Press is currently doing something special on their website during the pandemic. You can shop and buy directly from the company who will ship your order right to your lonely little hands in this time of need. Just go to www.rawdogscreaming.com for more info! This is an independent publisher who cares a LOT about the speculative writing community and wants to do the most good by offering you the chance to support writers. So it’s a win for everyone! Need some tunes? Donna Lynch and husband Steven Archer also have a dark, electro-rock band, Ego Likeness. Check them out at www.egolikeness.com for more info!

Thanks for visiting Damaged Skull Writer! See you soon! 

THE TWILIGHT PARIAH
Jeffrey Ford
A Tor.com Book
September 12, 2017
reviewed by Brian James Lewis

Wow, this is one cool book! Jeffrey Ford writes with a flavor that makes readers feel like they’re visiting with old friends. His characters have warmth and a three-dimensional quality that makes them real. So if you are feeling lonely during this whole crazy pandemic thing, The Twilight Pariah from Tor.com Books will give you a set of friends to hang out and share an adventure with! Plus, the time frame of the book, students on summer break before their last semester of college is a good theme for this time of year. I’d also like to mention that Ellen Datlow is the editor of this fine novel, which lets you know that this is going to be a good read!

The Twilight Pariah will bring back memories to those who’ve lived in the smallish rural towns of North America. Simpler times and ways that allow you to see a truck before it runs you down, While there are cell phones and laptops in the book, they are used now and then as actual tools in an eclectic mix of methods to handle a situation. We are not constantly plugged in and expected to understand complex electronic functions, something I really appreciate!

For reference purposes, I’m going to give you a quick rundown of the four major characters in the book in hopes of hooking your interest in reading more of The Twilight Pariah:

Maggie: Is a headstrong young woman who can do anything she puts her energies to. Amazingly smart and eccentric, Maggie can rebuild a motor or find out facts about an event that happened centuries ago.

Russel Babcock: One huge, mean, football playing machine with a heart of gold and a soft spot for lean, handsome men. Will do anything for a friend. A gentle giant

Luther: The love of Russel’s life. Not a muscular colossus, but certainly not defenseless. Sharp as whip with a James Dean level of cool

Henry: Our narrator, who does a really fine job. Even though he feels that he isn’t much good at it, only a true writer could’ve written such a well-balance about the events that unfold.

The Twilight Pariah starts off with Maggie picking up Henry in her Ford Galaxie. She brought this car back to life and drives it like she stole it. After informing Henry that she has changed her college major yet again, Maggie recruits the guys as diggers for a little project that may or may not be legal. A little archeological dig at an abandoned mansion outside of town. The place is in shambles, but one portion isn’t and that’s where Maggie wants to conduct some serious research. So what if it’s an outhouse?

However, it soon becomes clear that this isn’t the usual archeological dig for stuff like arrowheads, milk bottles, and loose change. Nope, what the group unearths is a lot more extraordinary and dangerous with a capital D. What are a tiny horned skeleton and bottle of mysterious liquid doing buried in a privy? The stuff may defy logic, but Maggie and company have to do something quick or pay the consequences. Bad things are happening fast and it’s not gonna be long before the group runs out of time. Help comes from multiple sources, including museum archives, a college professor, the library, and even Henry’s dad. But will their combined efforts be enough or are they doomed to fiery failure?

Damaged Skull Writer gives The Twilight Pariah FIVE STARS, two thumbs up, and a tip of the hat to both Jeffrey Ford and Ellen Datlow for one hell of a great story that offers seamless reading with bumps in all the right places! I do wish the characters were not fictional, because I’d really enjoy hanging out with them! The other “character” I enjoyed was Maggie’s “ancient lime green Ford Galaxie.” It reminded me of my first car, a green 1967 Ford Fairlane which was a sister to the Galaxie. It wasn’t quite as sporty as Maggie’s ride, but I had plenty of adventures in that Fairlane! One more cool detail that makes The Twilight Pariah such a fun read. A highly recommended cure for the shut-in blues! I got my copy from www.BarnesandNoble.com so I didn’t even have to leave the house.

Thank you for reading a review from Damaged Skull Writer. For more information about Tor.com books, go to www.tor.com and be sure to sign up for their cool newsletter which is awesome! You can also dig them on Twitter@TorDotComPub For more info about Jeffrey Ford, check him out on Twitter@jeffreyford8 For more info about all the amazing things Ellen Datlow is doing, follow her on Twitter@EllenDatlow You can also follow me on Twitter@skullsnflames76 Wishing you all safety, wellness, and good reading!

TRUE CRIME
Samantha Kolesnik
Grindhouse Press
January 15, 2020
reviewed by Brian James Lewis

When I first saw author Samantha Kolesnik’s Twitter post about her upcoming novel True Crime from Grindhouse Press, I was immediately intrigued. For starters, there’s the boss cover that makes the book look like a gritty tabloid. Photos of victims and crime scenes, the headline, even a nod to a certain Mr. Ketchum…Cool stuff indeed! But a great cover doesn’t mean “jack” if the story inside can’t stand up and deliver, right? Well never fear, dear readers! True Crime kicks some major ass! Kolesnik and Grindhouse Press give us a FIVE STAR read that none of us will forget any time soon. Let’s check it out!

Suzy and her big brother, Lim, live in a cruddy rental house with their mother. This ain’t no cuddly “we can do it” kind of family and there’s nothing homelike about the place they’re all stuck in. Especially Suzy, who’s like a fly stuck in a web woven long before she even existed. And guess, who the spider is? Her abusive bitch of a mom who has zero qualms about taking what she wants when she wants it. Give in or suffer the consequences. Just ask poor Alice, the permanent houseguest. But Suzy is finally pushed too far and fights back, killing her mother.

Except she can’t finish the job alone and that’s where Lim comes in handy. Not only is he a huge hulk of a man who could kill anyone with his bare hands, but he also possesses a lot of street smarts that Suzy lacks. Switching cars and getting money for gas are just jobs that need to be done. So is killing. Lim is a man of few spoken thoughts who doesn’t display emotions. But it seems like no matter what happens, he’s got little sister’s back. At least until they make it to a funky county fair where Suzy tries to do something for Alice and makes Lim so pissed off that…something happens to change their fortunes forever.

In contrast to her brother, Suzy wears her emotions on her sleeve. Often much more than she’d like people to see. But it’s never been about what she wants, so why should that change? Whatever little moments she’s enjoyed, have been stolen. Always forced to sneak around, Suzy is letting all the fear and pain pour out of her broken self and into her victims. Or are they really victims? Some of the people they meet on the road seem just as capable of doing damage as Suzy and Lim, but they’re more sneaky about it. That’s an important part of this book, unearthing the truth and pulling it out of the shadows. Suzy’s been pushed so far that everything inside her is broken and there’s no way to make them ever be right.

Once separated from Lim, she’s fostered off to a righteous couple who are going to “fix her” with all the love in their hearts. The local church honcho thinks that he’s going to convert Suzy into a fine, upstanding, young woman. But that’s not how things work in reality. People’s brains aren’t like computers where you can replace components, wipe harmful memories, and turbo charge thought processes. During her rehabilitation, opportunities come and go, but Suzy figures it’s just a waiting game until Lim gets out of prison. Then something changes all that and ruins even the small amount of comfort Suzy’s found in her substitute hometown. Mix in a surprise visit from Alice, a career criminal, an old man and his watchdogs, and you get an unexpected ending to this novel. Or is it a beginning? I guess that’s up to you to decide.

As you can see, True Crime has a lot going on and is a super impressive debut novel from Samantha Kolesnik. Combine that with the skill and quality of Grindhouse Press releases, and it’s a FIVE STAR ratings kind of day! Powerful prose that was so detailed it felt like nonfiction! I half expected Lim and Suzy to come barging in my door. There was a similarity to S.E. Hinton’s The Outsiders in feel, but not the same family dynamic. Lim and Suzy are the other kids who no one ever thinks about much. They live tortured lives in obscurity, but share that hurt feeling of being misunderstood and knowing that you’ll never change enough to make others accept you. Cruelty is never wasted. It just gets stored up like a bomb and when something sets it off…Look Out!

Thanks for checking out another review from Damaged Skull Writer! If you’d like more information about Samantha Kolesnik, check her out on Twitter @sam_kolesnik or at her site http://samanthakolesnik.com ! Also please check out Grindhouse Press for some of the best reading you’ll find anywhere on Twitter @GrindhousePress and on their site http://grindhousepress.com They have some nifty merch for sale, too!