8-3-25 — Christina Critiques

Hello, friends! We are back to a normal review schedule (for now at least). There’s so many cool books and surprise reviews coming up. The last half of the year is going to get crazy and very unpredictable on Sundays. But there will always be reviews. Probably. Maybe. I’m 99% sure.

Let’s get into some bangers I have read in the past couple of months that I had to start August with.

D7

By: Philip Fracassi

Release: 5/27/25

Page count: 48

KU: No       Hoopla: No

Synopsis: While lost and looking for their hotel, Paul and Diane find a bar. Might as well have a drink, right? A deadly secret may cost them and the rest of the patrons their lives.

First line: “Nightcap?”

Favorite line: “NO GUNS/ NO KNIVES/ NO FIGHTING”

Thoughts: When I finished D7, at first I thought, “Did I miss something?” Then the whole damn point hit me over the head. And that, friends, is the genius of this novelette. Fracassi builds a world of fear, claustrophobia, and confusion and the reader has to ride it out. Such a crazy fun and quick read.

Rating: 4.5/5

Other recommendations: NO ONE IS SAFE, GOTHIC

Find it here: https://a.co/d/fCmKhBC

THE ROPE

By: Britt Wolfe

Release: 6/19/25

Page count: 65

KU: Yes      Hoopla: No

Synopsis: Daniel needs a fresh start after a traumatic event at his last job but as we all know, you can’t outrun the past.

First line: “Welcome Ashridge Hollow, the sign at the edge of town had read.”

Favorite line: “Ashridge Hollow was old enough to host an entire choir of ghosts - and maybe a few who hadn’t quite finished their song.”

Thoughts: OK, this book was creepy as hell. In less than sixty-five pages, the oppressive atmosphere is almost unbearable. While the reader quickly can figure out the what and how - the why of the story is more slow to unravel, but when it does - oh, buddy. I hope to see more from Ashridge Hollow and Britt Wolfe.

Rating: 4.5/5

Find it here: https://a.co/d/49xE8FQ

UNCLAIMED PROPERTY

By: Cat Delani

Release: 6/17/25

Page count: 65

KU: No       Hoopla: No

Synopsis: Mallory hoes home years after a tragic event killed her family. After learning her inheritance, she learns a much more sinister family secret.

First line: “The box sits on the motel bed across from me.”

Favorite line: “Welcome home.”

Thoughts: Well, well, well, if this isn’t an amazing debut! Cults, unreliable narrator, and lost family - it has all the tropes of a winner. Selfishly, I do wish it was a bit longer so a few pieces were expanded but that’s only because I’m a nosy bitch reader. I’m super excited to see what else Delani has in store for us.

Rating: 4.5/5

Other recommendations: N/A

Find it here: https://a.co/d/7bV3v06

GODDAMN GRAVEYARD ZOMBIES

By: Lucas Mangum

Release: 5/21/25

Page count: 202

KU: No      Hoopla: No

Synopsis: Iyana and her soon to be goth-y husband are having a wedding in a cemetery with their best friends. The problem is there seems to be some uninvited guests out to ruin their vows.

First line: “So, how do I look?”

Favorite line: “One all the members of the commune were dead, the gunmen dragged their corpses into a pile, soaked them in kerosene, and lit them ablaze.”

Thoughts: UGH! I love Mangum AND zombie books so put that together and it’s a no-brainer. GGZ is FILLED to the brim with horror movie homages and references to his previous books. But the best part, for me, was the absolute brutality of the kills and the emotions Mangum can elicit. Not a surprise to anyone who knows me, this is another hit from Lucas. (Side-note: rich people scare the shit out of me.)

Rating: 5/5

Other recommendations: PANDEMONIUM (co-written with Ryan Harding), EXTINCTION PEAK

Find it here: https://a.co/d/b90jD7n

VICAR OF FISTS

By: John Baltisberger

Release: 7/15/25

Page count: 113

KU: No       Hoopla: Yes

Synopsis: Kevin Welch, an incarcerated individual, was piloted across the pond to Rome to battle the pope… to the death. When a sexy assassin joins him, he will have to not only keep his new ring and molar but his life.

First line: “The Pope’s fist crashed into my cheek, knocking me back.”

Favorite line: “He was muttering something Italian, or maybe it was Latin; I didn’t know either tongue. But I was fluent in getting my ass beat, and he was definitely speaking my language.”

Thoughts: Baltisberger single-handedly made me root for the murder of a pope. Not THE pope, but a pope. A super clever and creative premise AND a hot, tattooed assassin? Yes, please. Fast paced, plenty of brutality, and stellar wit sprinkled thought out. As always, my only complaint is I wanted to spend more time in Rome with the idiota and his tattooed beauty.

Rating: 5/5

Other recommendations: ABHORRENT TRILOGY, UNCLEAN VERSES

Find it here:https://a.co/d/fVboX8Y