Nothing Left to Lose | AstraDaemon

AUTUMN BLEEDS INTO WINTER by Jeff Strand is my new favorite novel by this author. This is a coming of age story, under the most gruesome circumstances, and then some. When Curtis confronts his friend's kidnapper, he soon finds himself in a horrific situation with no way out. I appreciate the agony and anxiety which plagues Curtis because the story seems more believable with a kid screwing up left and right, as well as being terrorized by a sadistic psychopath.

I need this to be made into a film, if for no other reason than the alliances Curtis makes during his tortured silence. I'm good with the teens deciding they've had enough of kids getting murdered. I don't think it requires a stretch of the imagination to accept a group of young people rallying around one another during such a tragic time in their lives.

This is a thrilling crime drama with a shocking ending, and fans are going to love it. I also recommend Strand's FAINT OF HEART, a terrifying thriller about a woman searching for her husband.

As always,

AstraDaemon

Killer Loves A Dog

KUTTER by Jeff Strand has me wondering what kind of person I am, as I cared more about the dog than the women Charlie killed. Don't get me wrong, I think being a serial killer is horrible, but the guy takes such great care of Kutter, I began freaking out over the turn of events at the end of the story.

I'm not sure why so many readers consider this novella comical or dark humor. I don't think there's anything remotely funny about a guy finding his humanity through his experiences with a Boston Terrier. I can't believe I'm writing this, but Strand has mixed crime drama with psychological suspense to create a feel-good story about a murderer. W. T. F.

Please excuse me while I go hug my dog...

As always,
AstraDaemon

P.S. If you enjoy odd stories like this one, I also recommend SPECIMEN 313 by Strand.

The Trail of Spiders

FAINT OF HEART by Jeff Strand reminds me of the movie The Vanishing (1993). In the story, it's a married woman who has to relive her husband's camping trip in hell, in order to find out what happened to him. This is the darkest Strand story I've read yet. Even though the author avoids overly graphic scenes of violence, there are a couple of scenes which are absolutely horrific.

In other words, this is a terrifying thriller I recommend to all horror readers. Fans of Strand should prepare themselves...there's no dark humor in this one.

As always,
AstraDaemon