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

Apocalyptic Friends With Benefits

AN APOCALYPSE OF OUR OWN by Jeff Strand is the story of two friends stuck in a bomb shelter together for months. Eventually they become friends with benefits, but that is a minor detail. Missy and Kevin are awesome characters, and I think this story would work as a horror-comedy movie.

I'm not certain the author meant to be funny, but I laughed out loud more than once. Despite the dark humor, this novella still has its terrifying moments. The setting is absolutely claustrophobic, and the tiny bunker alone is a frightening concept.

The apocalypse isn't explained until the very end, but the reason is very satisfying and a tad bit ironic. This is definitely one of my favorite Strand stories!

As always,
AstraDaemon

Bizarro Horror

FACIAL by Jeff Strand shows how monstrous people can be. The story flips between the POV of two brothers: one with a cheating wife, and the other with a need for a corpse, as well as the POV of the cheating wife and a personal assistant. There is a lot of dark humor in this novella, giving the story a bizarro element.

Events become even more strange, as the POV exchanges increase, and more is revealed about the problem in the basement. The best way I can think to describe this writing style is Lovecraft and Poe getting high together. Really, really high...and then pranking Stephen King.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Deadly Triangle

STALKING YOU NOW by Jeff Strand is an unusual novella about a man who makes a critical mistake while stalking someone. The turn of events makes for a fascinating storyline, and the dialogue is slightly amusing.

However, the explanation for the change in one of the characters is a bit too convenient for me. This is one of his older stories, and I definitely prefer his more recent work. Strand's use of suspense has gotten much better in the past couple of years.

As of right now, my favorite Strand story is COLD DEAD HANDS.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Barry and the Deadly Avocado

COLD DEAD HANDS by Jeff Strand has nothing to do with zombies or any kind of apocalypse. This a suspense-thriller infused with drama, centering on a group of people hiding in a freezer from some Droog-wannabes attacking a grocery store. The characters offer quite a variety of backgrounds and personalities, but Barry stands out, especially since the story is told through his POV.

I had no idea who would live or die, which is refreshing, and I enjoyed the dialogue immensely. I'm recommending this story to everyone, and I would love to see Strand's novella be turned into a movie.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Dinner With A Friend

SPECIMEN 313 by Jeff Strand features a mad scientist experimenting with flesh-eating plants, but the story is told from the POV of one plant in particular. Max starts to feel a bit off, but his mood changes when a new specimen named Jenny is planted next to him.

The plants are my favorite characters. Strand's creation is a mix of The Happening with Little Shop of Horrors. I enjoyed the scene with the discarded plant cursing at the others, and I wish the author had included more interactions within the greenhouse experiments.

As always,
AstraDaemon