Review: Atlas of Paranormal Places by Evelyn Hollow

Atlas of Paranormal Places - A Journey to the World's Most Supernatural Places by Evelyn Hollow is broken down into the following chapters: Haunted Places, Witchcraft, Sacred Sites, Myths & Legends, Strange Nature, and finally Cryptids & Creatures.

There's only one place listed for Australia, and I thought it would be the Devil's Pool, Babinda Boulders in Queensland but it's not. I'd never heard of Wycliffe Well in the Northern Territory but it's included in this atlas for its connection to UFO sightings, spies and ancient spiritual worship.

The atlas includes several locations familiar to this reader like the Catacombs in Paris, the Winchester Mystery House in California USA, Pendle Hill in Lancashire England, the Hanging Coffins of Sagada in the Philippines, Aokigahara Forest in Japan and the Door to Hell in Turkmenistan.

It was also nice to see the inclusion of Scotland's Bannockburn House in this collection as it was featured in the filming of the fantastic Outlander series.

However my favourite discovery of the book was that of Burg Eltz in Germany. Describing this twelfth century medieval German castle as a fairytale castle is an understatement. The home of the Eltz family for more than 800 years, it contains the ghost of a young woman who defended her home from an unwanted suitor and paid for her bravery with her life. Burg Eltz is one of the most wondrous castles I've ever seen and the photos on their website showcases the stunning grandeur of its architecture.

True to its name, the Atlas of Paranormal Places includes a world map at at the beginning of the book with each of the locations marked. Then each separate entry features a map page indicating the specific location of the place being described. My hardback edition borrowed from the library contained suitably themed end papers although I wish there were more photos included.

The Atlas of Paranormal Places - A Journey to the World's Most Supernatural Places by Evelyn Hollow enables the inquisitive reader to journey to paranormal places and explore geographic curiosities around the world, all from the safety of home.

And if you like the sound of this, you might also enjoy reading the Atlas of Improbable Places - A Journey to the World's Most Unusual Corners by Travis Elborough.

My Rating:

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Carpe Librum!

Review: Rite of Spring by Kris Kneen

* Copy courtesy of Transit Lounge *

Miranda and Richard answer an advertisement in a nature magazine and agree to stay on an island off the coast of Tasmania for a period of six months. They'll be taking over from the previous caretakers but otherwise they'll be on their own in the remote wilderness the entire time. Taking all of their own supplies, the couple will be responsible for looking after the automated lighthouse and recording regular weather observations.

Miranda is recovering from a near death experience and the couple is reeling from Richard's infidelity. The environment is hostile, with winds so fierce that animals blow off the cliffs and down onto the rocks below. Yet somehow Miranda and Richard believe the seclusion, shared experience and time together will offer them the chance to heal their marriage. Yeah right! Obviously things were going to go wrong but I could never have guessed how.

Miranda is a Marine Biologist with a love of the ocean and spreadsheets.

"Keeping spreadsheets was not enough to distract her. She had revelled in the sorting and labelling of their produce, bought sticky labels for the bags, noting the date of drying, the variety of apple or pear or orange. She listed the total weight on each bag. When she had sealed one she lined it up next to all the others. The various colours and shapes were pleasing. This task appealed to something in her nature, perhaps the same thing that had drawn her to a career in marine biology." Page 21

The beginning of the book was easily my favourite part. Their arrival at the island demonstrates just how remote and cut off from the rest of the world they are, and the list of maintenance items was enormous. The weather takes a toll on every fixture and fitting and they're both energised by the physical challenges ahead. I especially enjoyed Miranda's planning for their trip.

"Her skills were easily transferrable to the planning for the island. She had measured out each meal - breakfast, lunch and snacks - planning them six months in advance, adding a few extra weeks of food in case the weather turned and stranded them on the island for longer than expected." Page 15

Getting set up and unpacking their supplies as the wind was howling outside my own bedroom window made me wish I could watch all of this unfolding on the big screen. Their optimism burst from the page and I was quick to share it. However, it soon becomes apparent Miranda is going through a lot more than first realised; she's physically recovering from a nasty accident, going through menopause and was already a person in flux.

It would be a spoiler to mention how things shift, but I can tell you there's a lot of sex in the book. If you're uncomfortable reading graphic sex scenes - and I'm not - then this is not for you. Having said that, the narrative goes further than just lots of sex and I think I'd call it dark erotica bordering on erotic horror.

There's quite a lot of poetry included in the book but much of it felt personal to the author and I had trouble connecting it to the narrative. There's also a heavy emphasis on Miranda feeling a lack of belonging her entire life and being different from everyone else that I couldn't relate to. It made me wonder if perhaps this was more of the author bleeding through into the character on the page.

And what's with the cover? I love the cover design, it's suggestive, erotic and intriguing but having read the book I can't see the relevance whatsoever. While the conditions are frigid, Miranda does take her clothes off on quite a few occasions however this isn't her body type. The reader is frequently reminded that Miranda is overweight:

"Miranda's body held its own in his company. She was corporeal. Short but fat, sturdy. She weighed more than he did, even though he was easily a head and shoulders taller than her." Page 175

After that one description - and there's plenty more - it's clear the woman on the cover is not Miranda. I also have no idea what the significance of the blackberries and blackberry juice smeared on her abdomen is all about. Perhaps it's suggestive or evocative of blood and something to do with menstruation but the torso of the woman doesn't look menopausal. It's a great cover, I just didn't understand the relevance.

The author mentioned in a recent interview that the idea for the book came after their friend sent them an ad just like this, thinking Kris might consider it a writing retreat of sorts. The position didn't appeal but they took the idea and ran with it and I hope the friend passes on more ads in the future.

I originally wondered if the title of The Rite of Spring was a reference to the piece of music by Stravinsky, but in the same interview I referenced earlier, I learned there are going to be four books with themes of queerness, gender, science, nature and the supernatural; one for each season.

The ending of the book reaches an exciting climax (pun intended) although I was left with unanswered questions in the denouement about the supernatural element. The Rite of Spring by Kris Kneen is dark erotic Australian fiction and will appeal to literary readers open to self discovery, sex and the supernatural.

My Rating:

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Carpe Librum!

Review: Devil Mountain by Inessa Jackson

* Copy courtesy of Simon & Schuster *

Devil Mountain is a debut novel by Inessa Jackson and the author has certainly made an arresting entrance into the somewhat crowded scene of Australian crime fiction.

Based in Sydney, Detective Sergeant Anastasia Brown is reeling from an unjust workplace suspension when she's sent to Stony Creek - a small town in NSW - to investigate the murder of a local GP. Pairing up with local Detective Harry Frost, Ana gets a quick run down of the unusual crime scene and seeks to find out more about the victim and why someone would want to kill him.

This police procedural moves quickly and several motives are swiftly identified. I loved this phrase summing up the motives for murder and haven't heard or seen it before:

"It met the criteria for one of the most common motivations for murder: love, lust, loot and loathing." Page 38

The mountain of the title overlooks Stony Creek and forms part of the Stony Creek State Forest where lights have been seen and the vengeful spirit of a wronged woman is said to haunt the mountain for eternity. Yikes!

DS Ana Brown is an easy protagonist to cheer for as she tackles misogyny in the workplace, peels back layers of lies in the small town to reveal adultery and addiction, investigates a Wiccan coven and plunges headlong into the forest despite the reported hauntings.

Detective Harry Frost was a highlight and my favourite character and I'd love to see Ana and Harry working together again in the future if this becomes a series.

Devil Mountain by Inessa Jackson is an enjoyable Aussie noir crime novel although I wish the supernatural element was more prominent.

My Rating:

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Carpe Librum!

Review: Innocence by Dean Koontz

The last book I read for 2025 was Innocence by Dean Koontz. Traditionally a fan of Koontz from way back, I've read 29 of his books and since 2006, I've reviewed 20 of them. Stephen King and Dean Koontz were a popular choice in my twenties and having a chunky new release from either author on my bedside table was a real thrill. Just for fun, I had a look at the star ratings for the Dean Koontz books I reviewed and they vary from 1 to 5 stars, with an overall average rating of 3 stars. With stats like that, I guess I should ask myself why I keep reading his books, but perhaps it's a nostalgia thing. Nevertheless, Innocence was the last Koontz book on my TBR - for now - and it was a terrific read!

Addison Goodheart is 26 years old and lives the life of a recluse, deep underneath the city. He has a kinship with nature and a passion for books and reading, but Addison avoids other people at all costs. On the rare occasions he does venture above ground he hides his features and we're not told what he looks like - until the end - which equally bothered and intrigued me:

"By the standards of humanity, we were exceedingly ugly in a way that excited in them abhorrence and the most terrible rage." Page 13

Addison learned from a young age that his appearance inspired repulsion, hatred and horror in anyone who looked at him. This quickly turned to violence and he retreated from society as a result. Utilising a series of drains and tunnels to navigate the city, Addison accesses the city library at night to enjoy the books and one night he comes across Gwyneth. A goth who doesn't like to be touched, Gwyneth has her own loner back story and we learn them both as they get to know each other.

"The fallow soil of loneliness is fertile ground for self-deception." Page 60

Published in 2013, the writing in Innocence is peak Koontz. I had to look up the definition of several words along the way and found myself bookmarking many quotes I wanted to revisit and remember.

Gwyneth can't bear to be touched and Addison doesn't want her to look at him so they make a pact. She won't look at him and he won't touch her. Addison cleverly summarises their predicament:

"If I touch you, you'll pull the hood off my head. Or if instead you make the first move and pull the hood off my head, then I'll touch you. We hold each other hostage to our eccentricities." Page 67

Don't worry, this isn't an urban fantasy version of Five Feet Apart. It's a supernatural thriller and Gwyneth swiftly pulls Addison in on her mission. As the tension increases, I really enjoyed this anecdote from Addison's father about the past, the present and the future.

"He said that because we live in time, we think that the past is baked and served and eaten, that the present is coming out of the oven in continuous courses, and that the future is not yet even in the mixing bowl." Page 328

The familiar Koontz battle between good and evil is here, and if this is the last book by Dean Koontz I ever read then I'm pleased to finish on a high. I almost considered giving this 5 stars and you can read the first 7 chapters here in a free extract from the publisher.

My Rating:

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Review: Psykhe by Kate Forsyth

Having a relatively poor knowledge of Greek and Roman mythology, I was a little concerned when I picked up Psykhe by Kate Forsyth. It's a fictional re-telling of the Greek Godess Psyche and Cupid and I was worried I might end up lost in the narrative or missing references I couldn't place due to my lack of background in the classics.

Kate Forsyth is a favourite Australian author of mine and I should have trusted she would make her tale accessible to those familiar with ancient mythology and those relatively new to it.

Set in Italy, our protagonist introduces herself on the first page by recounting her dramatic birth. Born with the umbilical cord wrapped around her neck and appearing blue and all but dead, her mother's midwife blew air into her lungs and brought her back to life:

"So I was named Psykhe, which means breath and soul and butterfly, words having many meanings. Only gods die and return to this world alive. So as I grew into girlhood, many people began to think I too must be divine." Page 3

It's clear by the second page that Psykhe has albinism and it was interesting to read an historical fiction novel featuring a main character with the physical traits of albinism; white hair, low vision and extremely sensitive skin which can burn and blister in the sun. It's a topic that has interested me for years and you can read my review of Beyond the Pale - Folklore, Family and the Mystery of Our Hidden Genes by Emily Urquhart for more on albinism in history although I suspect there are better books on the topic.

I can't comment on how Psykhe having albinism compares to the original myth, however I did find it a stretch to believe that an albino woman would be considered a great beauty at the time. Usually albinism is accompanied by fears of curses, dark forces or magic.

Psykhe learns the healing properties of herbs and plants and becomes a midwife, also drawing attention to herself as a potential witch. These early years are where the book excels and it's clear the author loves writing about potions and tonics and the many uses for plants known at the time.

Psykhe's relationship with a cruel and absent father highlighted the complete lack of agency she and her sisters experience as young girls and later young women. Psykhe falls in love with an immortal, referred to as Cupid or Eros in ancient mythology and a romance ensues.

When introducing the Vestal Virgins of Rome - which I just learned about watching Those About to Die with Anthony Hopkins - the author describes the Roman temple:

"The round temple to Vesta, where virgins dressed in white tended the everlasting flame of the goddess of the hearth. Taken when only children, they would never know the touch of a man's hand, the deep kiss of desire, the swelling of a child in their womb, the suck of a babe on their breast." Page 103

Readers familiar with Greek and Roman mythology may have issue with some of the author's choices in the novel but I don't know my history well enough to pass judgement. I did find several elements a bit of a stretch (a caesarian section, mouth to mouth resuscitation and the albinism) but largely enjoyed the narrative. While unconvinced by the romance element, I enjoyed the challenges presented by loving a mortal, the supernatural and fantasy elements and the lengths Psykhe goes to for love; including her quest to the underworld.

Psykhe by Kate Forsyth is a feminist re-telling that will appeal to lovers of mythology, fantasy, romantasy and historical fiction.

My Rating:

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Review: Australian Ghost Stories by James Phelps

* Copy courtesy of Harper Collins *

Australian Ghost Stories - Shocking True Crime Stories of the Haunted, The Supernatural and Paranormal Happenings by James Phelps was an engaging piece of investigative journalism and a riveting read.

Promises to include accounts from a rugby league legend, Bathurst winner and an Aussie rock icon were delivered, although my favourite accounts came from regular members of the public. I was hoping to read about the house in Humpty Doo, but given the author's efforts to bring previously unknown cases to light and shy away from the already heavily publicised ones, I understand why Humpty Doo wasn't included.

In addition to several family homes on regular suburban streets, the author included the Aradale Lunatic Asylum in Ararat, Victoria, and the Hydro Majestic in the Blue Mountains, NSW. This was the first time I'd ever heard mention of the Hydro Majestic - the hydropathic sanatorium turned hotel retreat for the rich - but then it cropped up in the very next book I read, Everyone This Christmas Has a Secret by Benjamin Stevenson. I love bookish coincidences like this and I'd love to stay there one day.

Not surprisingly, the author drew from his extensive knowledge of Australian prisons and jails, having researched and written several books about them, two of which I've read: Australia's Most Murderous Prison - Behind the Walls of Goulburn Jail and Green Is The New Black - Inside Australia's Hardest Women's Jails. St Saviour's Cemetery is the oldest of Goulburn's forty graveyards and the accounts from hardened prison officers working at Goulburn jail were super creepy.

The colour photographs were a great inclusion and not all accounts were specifically linked to a true crime; in many cases there was no known reason for the haunting. In presenting his research gathered from interviewing more than a hundred people, James Phelps isn't afraid to break the fourth wall and the narrative often jumped around in time and location.

"(Even authors are allowed to do supernatural things while writing a book about the supernatural). And to confuse things even more, we are going to hit fast forward instead of rewind." Page 136

I wondered why this seemingly erratic writing style was necessary and I can only imagine it was to keep the reader engaged but a lesser committed reader may find it too distracting. Not me though, I was here for ALL of the stories, no matter their method of delivery or how much I longed for a fixed structure.

Enjoying an interview with James Phelps about Australian Ghost Stories on GoodReading recently, I was surprised to read that the author doesn't believe in the supernatural. If Phelps was a sceptic looking for answers, surely he found them after traversing the country recording first hand accounts with people from all walks of life with nothing to gain by sharing their accounts for this book. There are just too many unexplained experiences.

Australian Ghost Stories by James Phelps made the hairs on my arms stand up, but if you're a sceptic, I'm not convinced this will make you a believer; but what could? Perhaps a visit to St Saviour's Cemetery would be a good place to start... or if that sounds too confronting, you could always read a FREE sample of the book... with the light on of course!

My Rating:

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Blog Tour and Giveaway for Bone Rites by Natalie Bayley

* Copy courtesy of the author *

Intro

Natalie Bayley is a talented UK born Australian author residing in Sydney and it's a pleasure to be part of the digital blog tour celebrating the release of Bone Rites.

To celebrate the book launch, I'm hosting a giveaway and will be sharing a guest post from the author later this month entitled A Wander through the Weird & Wonderful World of the Edwardians.

In the meantime, it's giveaway time!! For your chance to win a signed copy of Bone Rites, winner of the The Virginia Prize for Fiction, enter below.

Blurb

"I collected the first bone when I was twelve. This fact was not mentioned in court... Such a tiny little bone, more like a tooth. I only kept it to keep him safe."

Holloway prison, 1925. Dr Kathryn Darkling, branded The Westminster Vampire by the press, has two weeks until she is hanged for a series of brutal murders. Facing death, she knows that time is running out to complete her mission. Will she find a way to escape her fate?
​
Will she be able to perform the special bone rites that will save her brother?

Bone Rites is a dark, literary tale of love, loss and one woman's obsessive fight for justice and redemption within a ruthless world.

Review

Bone Rites is a dark historical fiction novel set in the Edwardian period, in London. Dr Kathryn Darkling's story alternates between her Holloway Prison jail cell in 1925, and the events that led her there, beginning in 1905 with an irreversible injury suffered by her brother.

Kathryn is an easy character to warm to and the familial love she has for her younger brother powers the entire book. Pursuing an early interest in medicine, Kathryn struggles to succeed in a male dominated environment and takes measures to address them that had me clapping and cringing.

As Kathryn began to cross the lines of morality in the pursuit of her life's work, her sanity starts to shift and slide with the introduction of a supernatural influence after her service as a doctor in the war.

The research behind Bone Rites was seamlessly incorporated and the writing was polished, giving me great reading moments like this one: 

"My hand connects with her face with such force the resultant crack silences the room." Page 223

At the time of reading, I could almost hear the reverberations of that crack and flinched from the impact of 'that' slap. The narrative is convincingly gothic and dark and will appeal to readers of Stacey Halls, Jess Kidd and Laura Purcell; in particular The Corset by Laura Purcell.

Bone Rites by Natalie Bayley is about female agency, sibling love, forbidden love, the ravages of grief, the horrors of war, justice, redemption and ultimately hope. Enter below for your chance to win a signed copy!

My Rating:

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Giveaway

This giveaway has now closed.

Review: The Winter People by Jennifer McMahon

Published in 2014, The Winter People by Jennifer McMahon has been on my virtual 'maybe' list for several years; okay I'll admit it, 8 years. During this time, the author has published several new novels the blurbs of which have also piqued my interest; I'm looking at you The Drowning Kind and more recently The Children on the Hill. I'm the kind of reader who sometimes prefers to try an older title before deciding if an author is worth continuing on with, so thanks to my library for making that possible.

The Winter People is a paranormal mystery set in West Hall, Vermont, replete with strange disappearances, ghost sitings, myths and legends surrounding a circle of stones called the Devil's Hand and a ring made of bone.

"They think that there's something out there, in the woods at the edge of town, something evil, something that can't be explained. There have been a lot of stories over the years, folks who've gone missing, people who say they see strange lights or hear crying sounds, tales of a pale figure roaming the woods. When I was a boy, I thought I saw something myself one time: a face peering out at me from a crack between the rocks. But I moved closer and it was gone." He made his eyes dramatically wide and gave a little chuckle. "Have I scared you yet?" Page 132

The story alternates between time periods - 1908 and the present day - and different character perspectives (Ruthie, Katherine, Martin) and also includes diary entries from The Secret Diary of Sara Harrison Shea that add to the layers of suspense. Eventually the author skilfully brings all of the stories together and in doing so, solves the mystery.

The clever plotting reminded me of the likes of Ruth Ware or Laura Purcell, although I already read quite a few accomplished authors in this particular niche.

The Winter People has been classified by many readers as horror, however I found it only mildly creepy, if that. I believe it belongs more fittingly in the category of YA historical fiction and domestic noir with a touch of the paranormal and supernatural and it was a good choice for the October / Halloween reading schedule.

The Drowning Kind was published in 2021, so based on previous trends, I'll probably get to it in 2029! Have you read any books by this prolific author?

My Rating:

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Review: Devotion by Hannah Kent

* Copy courtesy of Pan Macmillan Australia *

Devotion by Australian author Hannah Kent tells the story of a Lutheran family in Prussia who flee religious persecution in the early 1800s and set sail for the colony of South Australia. Our narrator Hanne is a nature lover and different from other girls her age. She's an oddball in her village who doesn't really fit in, until she meets Thea.

Several families from the town leave Prussia together and a large portion of the novel takes place on their hazardous and trying journey by sea to Australia. The writing is sublime and the conditions on board the ship felt so real that I began to feel a little claustrophobic just reading about their cramped living quarters and harsh conditions.

The foreign beauty of the landscape when they arrive in South Australia is powerful and moving, and I enjoyed reading this fictionalised settlement of what we now recognise as Hahndorf in the Adelaide Hills. The treatment of the original custodians of this land was respectful and well handled and the author provides more information in her Author's Note at the end.

Devotion is a slow moving character study about love and grief and I saw many parallels with Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell. The writing is incredibly evocative and I often had to pause to enjoy the prose on the page. The title of this historical fiction novel is apt, as it's about an individual's right to worship, pray and embrace their own beliefs free from judgement and harm. But it's also about Hanne's devotion to nature, her twin brother and her friend Thea.

I adored Burial Rites and thoroughly enjoyed The Good People, but here in Devotion, Hannah Kent does something a little different. While The Good People contained Gaelic superstitions and folklore, Devotion dips more than a toe into the supernatural realm around halfway through the book. This unexpected shift will be met with surprise by many readers and I suspect some won't enjoy the change in direction. I willingly went with it, however my favourite part of the novel by far was the beginning, prior to the journey to Australia. The daily lives of those in the village of Kay put me in mind of several novels I've enjoyed recently.

Beautifully written, Devotion is about love and yearning, the uncertainty of youth and the hardships of the period. Overall, it was an emotionally heavy book to read, but so intricately lyrical at times I felt as though I was intruding on Hanne's private and inner most thoughts. It also made me wonder whether Kent drew on her own love story in order to create this fictional relationship so convincingly and so heartbreakingly.

Devotion is the third novel by Hannah Kent and this talented Australian writer has now become an 'auto read' author for me, which is rare. Highly recommended for historical fiction readers who have the time and patience to slow down and enjoy a character study about love and devotion.

My Rating:

★ ★ ★ ★ ★