Book Review: The Perfect Place to Die by Bryce Moore

 

Title: The Perfect Place to Die

Author: Bryce Moore

Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire

Publishing Date: August 3rd, 2021

Read: January 4th, 2023

Pages: 384

Audio Length: 7 Hours 20 Mins

Genre: YA Horror Historical Fiction

TW: Murder, obviously

Series: Standalone

Source: Audio

What it's about:

Stalking Jack the Ripper meets Devil in the White City. In order to save her sister, Zuretta takes a job at a notorious house of horrors—but she might never escape.

Zuretta never thought she’d encounter a monster—one of the world’s most notorious serial killers. She had resigned herself to a quiet life in Utah. But when her younger sister, Ruby, travels to Chicago during the World’s Fair, and disappears, Zuretta leaves home to find her.

But 1890s Chicago is more dangerous and chaotic than she imagined. She doesn’t know where to start until she learns of her sister’s last place of employment…a mysterious hotel known as The Castle.

Zuretta takes a job there hoping to learn more. And before long she realizes the hotel isn’t what it seems. Women disappear at an alarming rate, she hears crying from the walls, and terrifying whispers follow her at night. In the end, she finds herself up against one of the most infamous mass murderers in American history—and his custom-built death trap.

What I thought:

So I read Bryce's other book, Don't Go To Sleep last year, and I gobbled it up. I was listening at work and I couldn't stop listening. I was actually getting angry at people for coming in to the shop!
That being said, this one was a little bit of a let down. The mystery is good, but I felt myself getting bored in it a lot. Which sucks for a horror book. 

Cover:

I'm not big on this cover, I don't know if it's the illustrations or the colors or what, but I'm just not a fan. 

Story:

So this is based off a real serial killer, one who I didn't know. I won't say who just because I don't want to ruin it. The story itself is sound. It's a good one. It definitely had me guessing and I kind of figured it out before the end but honestly I kept doubting myself. 

Pace: 

I was SO bored. This book was really long and full of unnecessary pages, at least in my opinion. A lot of it could have been edited out and the book still would've had all the information we needed. 

Writing: 

It wasn't bad. I didn't feel like a 12 year old wrote it and I think the author is good at describing what's going on.

Characters: 

I found myself really annoyed with the main character more than once. She was kind of dumb and her decisions just... upset me. 

World building: 

There was enough that I could picture it well enough to read the book, but other than that it wasn't anything spectacular.

Ending: 

I finished it and just kind of felt nothing. It was an okay ending, but the book was just so slow that even the ending didn't save it.

Narrator:

I don't have anything to say about the narrator. 

Overall:

Overall, after reading his other book, I was pretty disappointed in this one. I know he can do better.

Possible books of likeness:

Author's info:

Website

Also writes under the pseudonym Albert Packard.

Bryce Moore is the author of The Perfect Place to Die, The Memory Thief, and Vodník. When he’s not authoring, he’s a librarian in Western Maine. He’s been happily married since 2001 and is doing his best to raise three new geeks of his very own, while simultaneously convincing his wife that sci-fi/fantasy is awesome. He uses his spare time to fix up his old 1841 farmhouse, shovel snow, and pay ridiculous amounts of money feeding his Magic the Gathering addiction.

Favorite Authors: Terry Pratchett, CS Lewis

Favorite Bill Murray Movie: Groundhog Day

Favorite TV Sitcom from Before 1970: The Dick Van Dyke Show

Favorite Monty Python Sketch that Doesn’t Involve a Parrot: The Spanish Inquisition

Favorite Monopoly Token: Dog

Book Review: The Whispering Dead by Darcy Coates

Title: The Whispering Dead

Author: Darcy Coates

Publisher: Poisoned Pen Press

Publishing Date: May 4th, 2021
Read: January 27th, 2022

Pages: 256

Audio Length: 7 Hours 15 Mins

Genre: Paranormal Mystery Thriller

TW: Murder, obviously. 

Series: Book 1

Source: Audio

What it's about:

Homeless, hunted, and desperate to escape a bitter storm, Keira takes refuge in an abandoned groundskeeper's cottage. Her new home is tucked away at the edge of a cemetery, surrounded on all sides by gravestones: some recent, some hundreds of years old, all suffering from neglect.

And in the darkness, she can hear the unquiet dead whispering.

The cemetery is alive with faint, spectral shapes, led by a woman who died before her time... and Keira, the only person who can see her, has become her new target. Determined to help put the ghost to rest, Keira digs into the spirit's past life with the help of unlikely new friends, and discovers a history of deception, ill-fated love, and murder.

But the past is not as simple as it seems, and Keira's time is running out. Tangled in a dangerous web, she has to find a way to free the spirit... even if it means offering her own life in return

What I thought:

I LOVED this book. This is one of my favorite books of the whole year. I have a bad habit of forgetting what books are about and then reading them and being completely surprised. I thought this would end up being zombies. But it's not, obviously. But I do love ghost stories too and this one definitely wasn't an exception. 

I ended up reading this in one sitting, I didn't want to put it down and when I found out it was going to be a series I couldn't wait for the others. 

Cover:

I really like the cover of this, I love the monotone and I love the shadows and the shapes and everything. And when I see the whole series together it is so aesthetically pleasing. 

Story:

As far as stories go this one isn't one I've read before. I've read ones similar, but the way she sees the ghosts and help them is different than any I've read before. I love that we not only have the mystery of who she is, and what happens to her, but also who the ghost is and what he wants. There was never a point in this book that I knew what was going to happen next. 

Pace: 

It starts off a little slow, but that quickly changes and I found myself so caught up in the book. There was never a time I was bored. 

Writing: 

I've seen a couple reviews where people say the writing is a mess and it's hard to keep up with and it's confusing but I never felt that way. I think it's written really well.

Characters: 

This series has some of the best characters I've ever read, and that means a lot. Keira is easy to love, there's nothing about her that I don't really like. I do think she's a bit hard on herself and she needs to learn to open up, but because she doesn't remember anything that happened to her, I can't blame her.

Zoe is amazing and lovable and annoying in the best possible way. She's so energetic, spastic, and positive. She really cares. 

Mason is so dreamy and swoony, I love him. From the moment I met him I'm like uhm yes please. 

Daisy the cat is the sweetest thing and Adage is a sweet caring old man who you can't help but love. 

World building: 

The way Darcy describes everything is so stunning. The words she uses and the imagery is just gorgeous. I would 100% want to live there.

Ending: 

Just yes. The ending is perfect and leads right into the next book.

Narrator:

The narrator did a fantastic job.

Overall:

I love love loved this book and it helped me find one of my new favorite authors.

A little Snippet:

“If life gives you a chance for something, you can’t hesitate or wait for a better time. You just have to take a leap of faith while it’s there.”
― Darcy Coates, The Whispering Dead

Possible books of likeness:

Author's info:

Website
http://www.darcycoates.com

Genre
Horror, Suspense

Darcy is the USA Today Bestselling author of Hunted, The Haunting of Ashburn House, Craven Manor, and more than a dozen horror and suspense titles.

She lives on the Central Coast of Australia with her family, cats, and a garden full of herbs and vegetables.

Darcy loves forests, especially old-growth forests where the trees dwarf anyone who steps between them. Wherever she lives, she tries to have a mountain range close by.

You can hear about her next book by joining her newsletter: www.darcycoates.com/subscribe