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Rougeski Reviews-Speculative

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 Rougeski Reviews: My Way

The Method to my Madness  pro_reader_120

Time slips away from us more and more quickly every yea10 Book Reviewsr. As a result, the time we can allot for reading shrinks at the same speed. Because of this, readers must carefully choose which books deserve their time. In order to enhance their ability to choose wisely, many readers look to review sites to augment their decision making process. However, a good number of review sites, even highly respected ones, simply churn out simple plot outlines (that are very similar to the text on the back cover of the book) punctuated with a thumbs up or down graphic. Readers deserve more.Reviews Published

In order to help readers make enlightened decisions, the goal of Rougeski Reads is to offer a more in-depth analysis of novels. Yes, plot is very important. However, much more should be considered. With this in mind, reviews will address higher levels of analysis. These aspects will be visually broken down in a review box at the bottom of each review. Categories that will be considered include:

Plot: Is the plot intriguing and well thought out?

Characters: Are the players engaging, believable?

Setting: Is the setting interesting, and does it support the action and clearly contribute to the story?

Complexity: How deep is the text? A low score means that the read is quick and easy. A high score denotes higher reading levels which by their nature insist on a larger time investment by the reader.

Literary Quality: Does the text operate on more than a simple surface level? Does it make use of literary elements such as symbolism and foreshadowing and so much more?

Originality: Has this plot been used many times before, or has the author blazed a new trail that gives evidence of great creative abilities?

Last but not least, instead of the ubiquitous thumbs, Alphonse Alligator simplifies the whole process by offering sage advice to readers not interested in details or percentages. If Alphonse is smiling, he likes the book. If he gazes above and appears lost, he is undecided. If he glares at the book with an evil scowl, he is very unhappy with the book.

Reviews that do not include the enlightened assistance of the discerning Alphonse were most likely written by guest reviewers.

Authors who wish to request a review should join my email list. I will post current submission details.

Rougeski Reviews-Speculative

The Influence | Ramsey Campbell | Rougeski Review

June 1, 2020 Rougeski 0

The Influence by Ramsey Campbell is a superlative example of supernatural horror.  It opens with an impressive illustration of one of Ramsey Campbells’ strongest talents, a remarkable ability to engender an atmosphere of darkness, decay, [more]

Rougeski Reviews-Speculative

We Are Monsters | Brian Kirk |Rougeski Book Review

November 18, 2019 Rougeski 0

We Are Monsters by Brian Kirk is much more than an entertaining horror story focused on the nature of reality; it explores an important moral concern that has plagued society for generations—the treatment of patients [more]

Rougeski Reviews-Speculative

The Eden Cult | by Bill Halpin | Rougeski Book Review

August 18, 2019 Rougeski 0

The Cult of Eden by Bill Halpin is a cautionary tale of human frailty and the unremitting power of the dark side. Will Battese is the quintessential good guy.  He loves his wife Shannon and [more]

Rougeski Reviews-Speculative

While You Sleep | Stephanie Merritt | Rougeski Reviews

March 10, 2019 Rougeski 0

While You Sleep by Stephanie Merritt is an startling gem, a true treasure that will leave readers lusting for part two. After a short, beautifully written prologue, Merritt slams readers directly into the action, leaving [more]

Rougeski Reviews-Speculative

Will Haunt You | Brian Kirk | Rougeski Review

February 17, 2019 Rougeski 0

Will Haunt You by Brian Kirk is a character-driven tale of cosmic horror that reminds readers that there are dark, dangerous, possible futures lurking on the horizon, unexplainable, inescapable, beyond human comprehension. Jesse Wheeler, former [more]

Rougeski Reviews-Speculative

Bird Box | Josh Malerman | Rougeski Review

November 20, 2018 Rougeski 0

Bird Box by Josh Malerman is much more than a horror story; it is a cryptogram, an occult metaphor for whatever it is that stalks us, not just as individuals, but as a nation, or [more]

Rougeski Reviews-Speculative

The Eighth | Stephanie |M. Wytovicvh | Rougeski Reads

October 19, 2018 Rougeski 0

The Eighth, by Stephanie M. Wytovich chronicles the epic journey of Paimon, a collector of souls.  The tale opens with a provocative statement that offers readers a clear preview of what is to come. “Paimon [more]

Rougeski Reviews-Speculative

Hag’s Breath | S.P. Oldham | Rougeski Review

October 1, 2018 Rougeski 0

Hag’s Breath by S.P. Oldham is a captivating collection of tales that revolve around witches and witchcraft. The keystone tale tells of sister witches, three of course, Sussurata, Sibilanta, and Silhouetta. Each has her own [more]

Rougeski Reviews-Speculative

Thirteen Days by Sunset Beach | Ramsey Campbell | Rougeski Review

August 17, 2018 Rougeski 0

Thirteen Days by Sunset Beach is more than speculative fiction; it is a subtle exploration of how dysfunctional family dynamics can obfuscate signs that warn of impending danger.  Perhaps Ramsey Campbell wants readers to open [more]

Rougeski Reviews-Speculative

Behind the Door | Mary SanGionvanni | Rougeski Review

June 19, 2018 Rougeski 0

Behind the Door, by Mary SanGionvanni, is a tale that hearkens back to the archetypal theme posed in stories such as The Monkey’s Paw. Be careful what you wish for. In the forest near the [more]

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Cauchemar Media

Cauchemar Media

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Publications

Behind Lace Curtains

Behind Lace Curtains  

Jake Preston, New York photographer, spent his life searching for something more, a magic he could never quite perceive--yet he always let the lens see for him.  He hungered for a revelation, but was terrified at the prospect of finding one . . . until he discovered his lover, dead on his blood-spattered bathroom floor, and on a mirror, a Cajun French message scrawled in fresh blood, the words merging with his reflection like sordid war paint.

  Even though he cannot translate the scarlet message, he knows what it means.  The murder is his fault--blood for blood.   With unblinking eyes, Jake smears the haunting words into a meaningless blur of red and then with scarlet-stained fingers transcribes the message onto his flesh, transferring the bloodguilt onto his soul, completing the ritual by painting his face with a glistening mask of red.  He knows what he has to do.  

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Books A Million

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Library Angel

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Jimmy and Julia, two college students, are haunted by oppressive memories of tyrannical, deceased mothers; Julia responds by becoming a reclusive overachiever and Jimmy, a serial killer. Their lives become inextricably intertwined by a shared fixation for a missing library book that contains marginalia detailing plans for the brutal murder of a local woman.

  Julia, believing she has uncovered information that can stop a string of serial killings, struggles to find a way to prevent the murderer from striking again, never realizing she has embarked on a perilous, unconscious quest for freedom from the past.   And Jimmy goes hunting . . . for Julia.

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At the Devil's Own Game

When Gina, a former prostitute and drug addict from Chicago crosses paths with Zachary, a Louisiana Satanist posing as a defrocked priest, sparks fly.  Each has something that the other requires in order to prevail.  What could possibly go wrong?

* * *

Kaitlyn suffered an abusive childhood.  Her nightmare family life drove her to become one with the Chicago night world of prostitution and drugs, all she believed she deserved.  Visions of her father naked under his black bathrobe continued to haunt her.  Years later, she ends up in prison.  A well-respected judge, mesmerized by her beauty, frees her from jail and marries her.  However, Kaitlyn is still a prisoner, owned by another man who wears a black robe.  Unable to conceive a child, she believes she is doomed to live without the only love she might ever find.  During a suicide attempt, a drop of her blood lands on a newspaper article which promises her the pure love she longs for.  She takes on the former name of her only friend, a nun, and is reborn as Gina, apostate nun, who heads to Louisiana to fulfill her dream.  But first, she must beat the devil at his own game.

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