Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Overlook's Readers Roundup: Halloween


With All Hallow's Eve less than a week away, it's time to get prepared in body and mind. While we can’t assist you with the finishing touches on your homemade Angry Birds costume, we can certainly help you get into the spooky spirit with some fantastic thrillers. Here are Overlook’s top picks for a hair-raising read. Don’t forget your flashlight when you crawl into bed with one of these.

We enjoy a good classic horror flick as much as a classic book, so this notorious novel turned Hitchcockian favorite serves a dual purpose. Based on the real-life story of Ed Gein, a psychotic murderer who led a double life, PSYCHO introduced readers and movie-goers long ago to the now infamous Norman Bates, his mother, and the unsuspecting young victim Marion Crane. The ominous hotel, the terror, the shower scream…it’s all still there for your Halloween reading (and watching) pleasure.
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This cult classic and National Book Award Nominee first penned and published in 1971 is another quintessential Halloween read. THE LATE GREAT CREATURE chronicles the efforts of fictional film star Simon Moro to make one last grand spectacle in a film adaptation of Edgar Allen Poe’s The Raven before his dwindling career comes to an end. Brower successfully transformed the B-movie genre in all its gory glory into literature and Overlook made sure the latest edition was here just in time for the scary season.

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History meets blood and gore in this chilling blockbuster by Sam Christer. A clandestine society trying to unlock the ancient secrets of Stonehenge turns to human sacrifice for seeking answers. Packed with symbology, details about one of the world’s most cryptic sites, and overarching suspense, THE STONEHENGE LEGACY promises a nail-biting evening. Available 10/27.

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The latest in Susan Hill’s gripping detective series starring the unstoppable Simon Serrailler, THE BETRAYAL OF TRUST becomes available on November 10. This is the perfect opportunity to catch up on her first five crime novels full of mystery and heart-stopping twists and turns starting with the debut of the series, THE VARIOUS HAUNTS OF MEN.

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A superbly crafted mix of humor and horror, THE CARETAKER OF LORNE FIELD was short-listed by the ALA for Best Horror Novel of 2010 and was a Black Quill nominee for Best Dark Genre Book of 2010. The story unfolds around Jack Durkin whose family has weeded Lorne field for the past three hundred years before pressure from Jack’s wife, his sons, and the townspeople put him out of a job. But he insists he’s not pulling weeds at all; rather, developing monsters that have the potential to overpower the nation if left to their own devices. Once you read about the terror in the fields, you just may be rethinking that much loved corn maize this year. (You should also check out Zeltserman's newest release THE KILLER'S ESSENCE.)

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A master of Noir genre, Jim Nisbet crafted a dark and gruesome tale with his first novel,THE DAMNED DON'T DIE. The violent and bizarre murder disrupting suburban bliss baffles even the most seasoned private eye in this powerhouse mystery that will leave you reeling.

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A young teenage girl survives a terrible accident only to be found dead six months later; the E.R. doctor who saved her life suspected of raping her and driving her to suicide. Dark, twisted, and unpredictable, KNIFE MUSIC will have you riveted to the page all the way to the end with its stunning shocker of an ending.


Disclaimer: Read all novels at your own risk.

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