03/07/2026 - Danielle's Dark Corners

Happy Saturday! Today I come bearing two amazing Godless finds and a new release that will live rent free in my head for life. Enjoy!

PLÜSCHOW AND THE SPINNING MAN

By Steve Berman

"I wonder if it was the distraction any of us have when a pretty thing presents itself. Or was it the distraction of necessity?"

This book is one of the reasons I love Godless. There are so many hidden gems to be found! PLÜSCHOW AND THE SPINNING MAN is one of those stories I would consider brilliant in ways. The way it’s written is outstanding. I don’t quite know the right word, so I will call it "that really smart writing" and hope you understand what I mean, lol. The language and tone are such a vibe and not something I read a ton of, but wish I did, and definitely will be.

The language is true to the plot's time and location and is done really well. The characters are cheeky with a ton of personality. The whodunnit aspect was also done really well and an easy 10/10 for me.

I read a lot of chapbooks, and this one is definitely at the top of the list for favorites of mine, right down to the cover. It’s only available on Godless, I believe, so definitely use the link below and grab it asap! I can't see this being a book that disappoints ANY reader!

SYNOPSIS:

This chapbook features the 1893 adventure of Guglielmo Plüschow in Trieste, where the infamous erotic photographer attends a meeting of the Aesthetes in a haunted grand hotel to celebrate their idol's murder (over 200 years ago). When something awful happens to one of these men, Plüschow decides to investigate not because he possesses a sense of justice or out of empathy but rather to win a wager and impress the others. Add a naïve, handsome waiter, deceit, and a curse to the mayhem.

Godless: https://godless.com/products/pluschow-and-the-spinning-man-by-steve-berman?_pos=2&_sid=5565c3bf9&_ss=r

DEVIL ON THE DANCE FLOOR: A Celluloid Terrors Novella

By P.J. Thorndyke

"She should have said no. She should have remembered the camera, that all this was being filmed, preserved, to be shown to God knew who. But the whole evening was like some wild trip, none of it real, none of it important."

I go into books totally blind, so I really had NO idea what to expect from this one, not even from the cover. I was quite shocked to find out it was about snuff films, but let me tell you… It was done really well! This was actually quite a fun book to read given the topic! There were religious/cult aspects that I loved! The characters were fun and also done well!

It’s the perfect Godless novella! It’s a pretty quick read and easy to get into. It’s a chaotic and wild ride so it’s definitely hard to put down and super easy to binge read! I didn’t want it to end, to be honest! I read somewhere that this pays homage to horror movies in the 70’s, and I can totally see that given the disco, etc.!

This book is available on Godless, so grab it asap! It’s a fun one for sure!

SYNOPSIS:

It’s 1976. Evil stalks the discos of New York City. 

When Laura meets the handsome Grady at a disco in Queens, romance blossoms. But Grady has his secrets and Laura has no idea that she is being sucked into a sinister web of sex, satanism and murder. 

Blackmailed into silence, Laura knows that her life hangs by a thread. Can she break free from the clutches of a demonic cult before more innocent people lose their lives?

'Devil on the Dance Floor' is an occult thriller novella inspired by the horror movies of the 1970s.

Godless: https://godless.com/products/devil-on-the-dance-floor-a-celluloid-terrors-novella-by-p-j-thorndyke?_pos=1&_sid=2af3965be&_ss=r

CROSSROADS, INC

By Andrew Adams

"You’re miserable out there, I see you! You’re struggling big time. Your concerns are heard! The bills are impossible to pay, inflation is out of control, and groceries cost more than your first born and a good kidney. Never fear, for Sterling is here—I will help you get on your feet for the first time in your life! Speak with an agent today to find out what we can do for you!"

Wow. Wow. Wow. This is a standout book of the year for me. It is so relevant to the times we are living in and the political climate, etc., BUT it’s taken on REALLY well and done in a really wild way! This story is dystopian and actually creepy as hell.

This is one of those reviews where I can’t praise the story and how it was told enough. I wasn’t sure what I was getting into, especially in the first few pages, then BAM, it all hit me, and I was mind -blown for the rest of the book.

I saw it described as a story of desperation, hope, and horror… and I honestly couldn’t agree more. It’s quite bleak in the tale. But that’s also what I love about it. It held my attention from start to finish. At almost 300 pages, I was so engaged that I binge-read it in one day! (That’s honestly something I am used to doing, but haven’t done in months, so it felt really good to have this book draw me back into what I love so much about horror).

I know I didn’t say a ton for this one, but this book truly speaks for itself. It most definitely will land on my top reads of 2026 list, and I could not recommend it more if I tried! It’s available now, so grab it asap and bump it up on your TBR!

SYNOPSIS:

When Crossroads, Inc—a life insurance company offering cash advances on policies—arrives in town, it brings something Glanton hasn’t seen in generations: hope.

Young Hannah Cassady and her seven siblings visit Crossroads to collect on their life insurance advancements for the family’s mounting bills, discovering the company intends to collect big returns on its investments—with severed body parts for the money.

How much is too much for free money?

What’s the true cost of a better quality of life?

Amazon: https://a.co/d/04n33Sfw