Review: The Mike Hammer Collection: Volume I

The Mike Hammer Collection: Volume I by Mickey Spillane

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



Final novel in the collection is "Vengeance Is Mine!" Spillane's voice is really developed in this one, although I wasn't as enamored with the plot, which seemed unnecessarily complicated. 4/5

Overall, I really enjoyed this collection and am looking forward to getting into the subsequent collections as well.




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Review: The Death of Bunny Munro: A Novel

The Death of Bunny Munro: A Novel by Nick Cave

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



If I could, I probably would bump this up to 3.5/5 stars. After traveling cosmetics salesman Bunny's wife commits suicide, he takes his son on the road with him, but has a difficult time keeping things together.

This was an audio book both written and narrated by Nick Cave. It gets a little weird and metaphysical in places, but overall was an enjoyable listen if you don't have a problem with a lecherous drunkard trying to deal with raising a son and the battle against his own pride. The ending was very touching, though.




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Review: Hard Time: 50 to Life

Hard Time: 50 to Life by Steve Gerber

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



I'm usually a big fan of Mr. Gerber's, but this one, while not bad, wasn't one of his better tales. I haven't gotten around to reading the rest of the series yet, so I'm hoping the story gels more in future TPBs of the series.



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Review: Vampires Don't Sparkle!

Vampires Don't Sparkle! by Michael West

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



As with all anthologies, there are going to be stories you enjoy more than others, but the majority of the stories in this book were enjoyable and a refreshing return to actual horror stories involving vampires.

Because some of the proceeds of the book's sales go towards cancer charities, this is definitely a worthy book to add to your collection.

On second thought... maybe not if your name is Bella.




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Review: The Pumpkin Child

The Pumpkin Child by Nancy A. Collins

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



Hollis Railsback can't catch a break to save his life. At his most desperate, he visits the local witch to change his luck. The spell works, and Hollis is living the good life. However, when he discovers one area of misfortune in his life ten years later, he compels the witch to perform another spell for him, despite her warnings to the contrary.

Nancy Collins is known for her visceral, gritty writing style, and this story is no exception. She has an excellent grasp of small-town Southerner speech patterns, and the motivations for each character are clearly defined.

If you're a fan of Tales From The Crypt-esque stories, you should certainly like this tale.




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