Getting to round out the month with more horror is always a good thing!
I highly recommend checking out their other books – especially THINGS HAVE GOTTEN WORSE SINCE WE LAST SPOKE. You can see my review here! Just remember, this can fall under the extreme horror genre, so there is a lot of visceral descriptions and gore.
EVERYTHING THE DARKNESS EATS – Eric LaRocca (Released June 13th, 2023)
Book Description:
An insidious darkness threatens to devastate a rural New England village when occult forces are conjured and when bigotry is left unrestrained.
After a recent string of disappearances in a small Connecticut town, a grieving widower with a grim secret is drawn into a dangerous ritual of dark magic by a powerful and mysterious older gentleman named Heart Crowley. Meanwhile, a member of local law enforcement tasked with uncovering the culprit responsible for the bizarre disappearances soon begins to learn of a current of unbridled hatred simmering beneath the guise of the town’s idyllic community—a hatred that will eventually burst and forever change the lives of those who once found peace in the quiet town of Henley’s Edge.
From the Bram Stoker Award®-nominated author of the viral sensation, Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke, Everything the Darkness Eats is a haunting supernatural thriller from a new and exciting voice in genre fiction.
My Thoughts: 3/5 stars
You can’t say Eric LaRocca doesn’t have stunning books 📚 who knew an all black book cover could look so good 😍 After reading Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke, I’ve devoured everything I can find by LaRocca.
The writing is mesmerizing and pulls you directly into the story and doesn’t let go. The two storylines throughout the book didn’t feel like they fit together, and I was super curious as to how they would converge in the end. While I enjoyed the story and the journey LaRocca took us on, I was left wanting a little bit more. Just a little more to the ending, so it wasn’t so abrupt and quick, if that makes sense.
The ending is what has me torn on where I land with this book. I couldn’t put it down as I tried to connect the dots and guess the end as it all unfolded. This had great supernatural and occult elements and gave a nice eerie overall feel, and who doesn’t love small town horror? I’m not sure why the synopsis makes it sound like a thriller, but I wouldn’t put it under that genre. I know this will not be for everyone due to some of the brutal violence, but if you’re curious, give it a try for yourself. That’s the beauty of some books, and when people are split, it’s always fun to see where people land.
Jessicamap Reviews 