Child Of Winter
T.R. Hitchman
Corona Books UK
September 1, 2016
Reviewed by Brian James Lewis

This is a collection of nine short stories and a novella that will chill the reader’s blood and keep you looking over your shoulder for something that isn’t there. Or is it? T.R. Hitchman offers simple, clean writing that draws you in and then slices you to ribbons.

In “Tell Me,” Robert is out taking a walk on the beach. It is a beach full of childhood memories and would be full of people if it weren’t for the fact that it’s January. But Robert likes a little solitude now and then from being henpecked. Just the waves rolling in, putting one foot in front of the other, a good place to clear the head. Until he sees a lone man looking so overburdened with depression that he appears to be dead. Well, Robert is “a good listener” and eager to help out this man he doesn’t even know to feel better. Never does it cross Robert’s mind that his actions may produce horrible consequences that will ruin him.

“Every Queen Deserves a King” is an interesting tale about a nurse with a special patient. Poor Hilary Robson is just trying to be a good nurse to a bunch of elderly patients who are heading towards the ends of their lives, when Charles Spencer is brought into her ward. The man appears to be at death’s door. He doesn’t move, just sleeps on his bed all twisted up in pain. Until his wife arrives and helps Charles to a fine meal of Hilary.

“Child of Winter,” the short story that is also the title of this collection, definitely runs strong to the unsettling. An older couple who were unable to have children find themselves idling about after retirement. No kids to stay in touch with or grandchildren to help out with leaves Angela feeling sad and disappointed. Meanwhile her husband makes work for himself to avoid just sitting in the gloom. Until the husband persuades her to visit a cabin owned by a friend for a little alone time for just the two of them. While still grieving for her lost son, Angela meets the children of winter out in the snow and joins them while her husband is napping. She is never seen again. Her husband tries to buck up and keep on, but he can’t. So he calls in his sister for help. She comes but it turns out that she knows a lot more about the situation than she is willing to tell her brother.

Have you ever lived in a house that seemed made just for you? I mean you could practically feel the thing embrace you when you came home! Oh, no? You haven’t? Well then consider yourself lucky not to be like the folks in “Bricks and Mortar.” It seems that this particular house sucks people into its destructive vortex by giving them the love that they’re missing. But nothing comes for free, including this house!

My favorite tale in this book is “The Eye of the Beholder.” Some things are not meant to be fooled with. Such is the case of a man named Will and his special camera that can turn accident victims into ravishing beauties again. Unfortunately, a ruthless reporter gets a hold of Will’s information and pushes him too hard. Not only does Nick start undoing Will’s kind work, he also bullies him. Until Will takes his picture to reveal the evil that dwells inside the rude reporter.

Despite its friendly sounding title, “The Homecoming” is anything but. A family of four living on an isolated farm is ruined by the daughter’s desires to have what she wants. First her Pa, then her brother fall under Constance’s spell and end up dead. She reaps her just deserts by birthing a dead child alone under brutal conditions. Fear and sadness drive her to abandon the incestuous child on the dirty, frigid ground. It disappears. Years later, a much older Constance is alone in the decaying farmhouse waiting out her days, when she’s approached by a young man. Turns out that he’s not exactly a stranger. In fact, what he really wants to do is return home and he will have his way!

Child of Winter is an intense book that will pull you into the darkness quickly. A very satisfying and unsettling read. I encourage you to give it a go! Just don’t expect to escape the cold touch of its author.

The Devil’s Children
Benjamin Blake
James Ward Kirk Publishing
Released October 6, 2016
Reviewed by Brian James Lewis

This is a fun romp of a book that should be read purely for entertainment. If you are a person who wants everything perfect and disputes a lot of what you read in speculative fiction, don’t read The Devil’s Children. However, if you’re looking for a fun tale and are willing to go on a loose and sometimes drunken demon chase, this is your baby!

The story starts out with a couple of childhood pals getting back together to re-visit their old stomping grounds. Harry and Adam are a couple of single guys who’ve kind of arrived at adulthood. They’re not dead by some divine miracle, which is nice, but they aren’t really achieving anything much with their lives. Adam’s life is pretty simple. He likes to drink a lot, play video games, and yank his yeeker. That’s about all his aspirations in life are, so I guess you could say he’s “living the dream.” One other thing Adam has going for him is rich parents. His Mom funds the entire trip that he and Harry take back to Wycombe, Massachusetts. This includes purchasing multiple used cars, renting a house, and buying a ridiculous amount of booze.

Harry is a little more mature than Adam, but not much. While he’s managed to live on his own in the world, he’s still pretty much hung up on teenage thoughts. Being able to smoke all the cigarettes you want because you’re an adult, still dreaming about his teenage crush, and fondling female fountains is how he rolls. One of the passions both guys share is demon hunting, something they used to do a lot as kids. But living separate lives away from Wycombe, they’ve given that part of themselves up. Until the funky dreams start. Weird, demon-filled dreams that include Harry’s girlfriend Rose, who disappeared under mysterious circumstances.

Somehow all this gels into our two heroes zooming back to Wycombe. They need to defend the town against bad mojo and an evil… town historian? Well, so be it. Goats, goat masks, underground tunnels, and secret rooms all make an appearance in this tale which feels like it is made of vaguely familiar parts. There’s even the gruff old diner cook and an African American sidekick who can easily whip a football jock’s ass. Flashes of Tom Sawyer, Stephen King’s It, The Goonies, a little romance, and a lot of pop culture fare have all been fed into the grinder to put together The Devil’s Children.

When I say that, I mean it in the very best way. This book is entertaining and a fun adventure of the sort that many of us would like to have. Instead we’re stuck in a cubicle, or behind a counter, or changing somebody’s oil while they sit in their car yakking on a cell phone. If you’ve ever wanted to go on a road trip with an old pal and drink too much while fighting evil, grab a copy of The Devil’s Children today!