Review Time! ~ Old Blood

Old Blood

(Experiment in Terror #5.5)

By Karina Halle

5 of 5 STARS

A haunting novella from the Experiment in Terror Series...

From her harrowing introduction in Darkhouse, the spectre known as “Creepy Clown Lady” has been a constant fixture in Perry Palomino’s life. But beyond the horrid makeup and piercing stare lies Pippa, a woman just like everyone else.

Well, not quite.

When Perry discovered Pippa’s message to her and Dex on the EVP recordings, she thought she heard the last of the old woman’s message. She was wrong. In the novella Old Blood, Pippa relays the tale of her troubled and tortured past, revealing how an aspiring actress and loving mother fell into madness and how an unfathomable betrayal led to her untimely death. 

For Perry, the repercussions of her message are life-shattering.

Old Blood is #5.5 in the series and occurs between books #5 On Demon Wings and #6 Into the Hollow

Once again Karina Halle has whisked me away with her colorful descriptions to a different time and place as the story of Pippa unravels.

This was an amazing novella that is a must read in my opinion for anyone who has read the Experiment in Terror series books 1-5.  Pippa has had a long and strenuous existence.  For this being only a novella, although a lengthy one (Thanks Karina!), so much is explained and in such a wonderful format.  I love that Pippa's story  was a message to Dex and Perry.  Her story is not a happy one but one filled with lots of emotions.  Hope, lust, jealousy, heartbreak, love, regret, betrayal, sympathy.  To start out on her journey with such hope and exhilaration, to the lonely and desolate ending it became.  I was enraptured with this novella from start to finish.

I can't fault Pippa any choices she made in life.  We all choose our own path and sometimes make wrong turns along the way.  Yes, there are repercussions for those bad decisions, but she persevered and marched right on.

It was really sad to read about her relationship with her daughter Ingrid.  I already didn't like how Ingrid treats Perry, but to now know the background information on how she treated her mother is just too cruel.  OK, this is Emmy uncensored.  What a selfish bitch!

To hear those words coming out of my daughter’s mouth hurt me more than anything in the world. She said them with such venom, such hatred. I wondered what I ever did wrong, why I deserved to be treated like this by someone whom I did nothing but love.

Pippa's transformation from that young girl at the lakeside to creepy clown lady is a heartbreaking story.  But we gain so much insight into her character, learning more about her connections with both Dex and Perry, and how she will protect those she loves to the very end.... And beyond.

I love the glimpse we get into Dex's childhood.  He had it rough.  Seriously messed up and thank Odin Pippa was there to help him out.  His mom was nucking futz I tell ya.  But it was great to see that even as a young boy, he approached strangers with the ease and confidence he has as an adult.  One of his many endearing qualities. :)

Side note: This novella contains the first chapter of book 6, Into the Hollow and HOLY CRAP!!!  I CANNOT WAIT!  With the crazy end of On Demon Wings, this is promising to be a wild ride ahead of us!

For more about Karina Halle, please check out these links:

Consequence of Sound

Experiment in Terror
Experiment in Terror Facebook
MetalBlonde on Twitter
Karina Halle on Goodreads

Review ~ Blackbrooke

Blackbrooke

By Emma Silver

4 of 5 STARS

I live in Blackbrooke and you would have had to be living under a rock to never have heard of it before now. This town is different to most others…Humans aren’t the only residents…”

The residents of Blackbrooke share their town with the Creatures, or Crits as they are known. Grotesque, roaming the streets at night looking for food, their presence means humans have to live by the Rules, keeping them indoors and forbidding them of basic desires.

The most important Rule?

Don’t be a ‘walk out’!

Straight-A student, Liberty Connor, hates the Crits and the endless Rules she and her tight knit group of friends have to live by.

Planning her new life on the Outside with her boyfriend, Gabriel, Liberty whiles away her days waiting to turn 18, so they can leave and be free. That is, until the world she thinks she knows begins to unravel…

Her friends start to walk out. So she’s told. However, something’s not right. Things don’t add up.

Liberty faces a race against time to discover what’s going on with the Creatures of Blackbrooke.

Is it them she has to fear, or something much closer to home?

Blackbrooke is a Young Adult horror novel that has you on the edge of your seat.

Blackbrooke, England.  Population 10,000 and dwindling.  Centuries ago, an agreement was made.  Humans rule the day, but when the klaxon bell rings, its time to lock up tight.  The nighttime is ruled by the Crits.  Four different types of monsters make up the Crits.  There are Lurkers, Watchers, Hunters and the Queens.  Each playing a different role and each horrible and terrifying in description.  Rules were put in place to keep the peace and to prevent any temptations to the Crits.

This story is written in the POV of Libby Connor.  Libby is 17, a full time student and lives at home with her parents and four year old brother Oscar.  The mother is mostly out of the picture so Libby has been helping her father raise him.  She also works part time at a tourist shop called Tales from the Crits with her kooky/hippie boss Denzil.  Other important characters are her boyfriend Gabriel, her best friend Gemma and Gemma's boyfriend, Noah.  We also have Cassius, her childhood friend.  Cassius and Libby's friendship became estranged though as the years went by.  Cassius is pale as can be.  White hair, pale skin that's nearly translucent, two different colored eyes.  All of that making him easy pickings to be the brunt of many a joke, being made fun of relentlessly.

At school, the girls and boys only intermingle during Blackbrooke history class, at the cafeteria and when they are all called to assembly.  Which happens way too often considering they are announcing the most recent  students to have 'walked out'.  That term is used when someone 'walks out' during the night, knowing full well the Crits will get them.

There is a slight triangle, if I can really call it that.   Gabriel is sweet and very caring.  Cassius is just, so much more in my opinion.  I just don't know how to explain it.  He's just so different and suits Libby a lot differently then Gabriel.  Maybe it was the skinny jeans with  skinny tie and wool coat that got me.  Who knows.

Libby is soon entrenched in a mystery involving recent 'walk outs'.  Finding an ally in Cassius, we are taken on a terrifying journey of death and betrayal, forbidden secrets and finding out who she can really trust.

This book really is a hell of a story.  So many things happen.  We are taken from one clue to the next as the frightening answers are revealed.  My thoughts on this book are jumbled, it is not a comforting story.  The end was a huge shock and left me wanting more.  Yes, it is a cliffhanger.  Even if most of the questions are answered, the last chapter leaves us with new ones.  I enjoyed every minute of it and even cried at one point.

A terrifying yet captivating debut...  Miss Silver, may your creative forces continue to crank out such enthralling works.  Everyone will be thirsty for more after reading this one.

Review time! ~ The Benson

The Benson ( Experiment in Terror #2.5)

By Karina Halle

My rating: 5 for 5!!!

A short, sexy and scary read.

The Benson hotel in Portland, Oregon might look like your ordinary, swanky turn-of-the century hotel, but deep in the heart of this historic icon, lie a few restless souls with secrets that won't stay buried.

Amateur ghost hunters (and your favorite "will they or won't they" pair) Perry Palomino and Dex Foray spend an evening exploring the hotel for their Internet show "Experiment in Terror" - but this is no ordinary hotel and this is no ordinary episode. There's someone here in the Benson, someone dead, who will push the boundaries of what the duo know about ghosts and challenge Perry's very notion of the truth.

The Benson is a short novella  in the Experiment in Terror Series. It occurs between books #2 (Red Fox) and #3 (Dead Sky Morning) but can also be read as a standalone and is the perfect primer for anyone interested in the best-selling series.

(via Amazon)

Already going through withdrawals, I needed a Perry and Dex fix and this novella fit the bill.
Perry and Dex are checking out the Benson Hotel in Portland, armed with infrared, they set out on their expedition but not until we have some typical Dex/Perry flirtation interaction.

He gives me a smile that reaches his eyes and shows perfect teeth that are quite white for a smoker. “Well, it’s nice to see you. Too bad you’re not bunking with me tonight at my motel.”  

I give him a sharp look, not sure if he’s kidding or not.  

He smiles again, almost leering. “I’ll probably be shaking in my boots after tonight with only my pillow to hug.” 

 We get a good glimpse at what may happen for a typical show when things don't go haywire. There is definitely still activity and Perry is very much involved, but it's much lighter than the full lengths. I enjoyed this novella being thrown in the mix. It makes their profession that much more believable. Sure things go bump in the night and might fight back, but not 100% of the time.


If you haven't picked up Darkhouse yet, it's still free on Amazon.  Click the link and check it out!

Want more? Check out:
Experiment in Terror
Experiment in Terror Facebook
MetalBlonde on Twitter

Review time! ~ On Demon Wings and an announcement

On Demon Wings (Experiment in Terror #5)

By Karina Halle

My Rating ~ 5 for 5!!! (or if this was Spinal Tap, I would say this one goes to 11)

When the life you wanted has crumbled beneath your fingers, there’s nothing left to do but pick up the pieces and soldier on. You’ve done this before.

But what happens when you no longer feel like yourself anymore? When fires spontaneously start-up around you, when you hear growling coming from underneath your bed, and you no longer recognize your face in the mirror. What happens then?

Ghost-hunter Perry Palomino doesn’t have much time to find out. Now, the evil she used to hunt is a lot closer to home. It’s inside of her, taking over her life bit-by-terrifying bit, and there’s only one person who can help her. 

On Demon Wings picks up roughly 3 months after the events of Lying Season.  Miss Halle has done a wonderful job at the get go with the intro of a dream for this installment.  I was pleasantly shocked that something so ballsy could happen and to think you never know what to expect in this series.  Perry has yet again gone through some major life changes.  Career, friends, health...  She is not the same girl we are first introduced to in Darkhouse.  Perry is coping but not easily when her world takes another turn for the worse.  Health issues and an unwanted visitor.  

One of my favorite things about this book is the improved relationship between Perry and Ada.  The sisters share a good amount of page time and I'm glad little fifteen is there for Perry. 

“You’re not my friend?” I asked wryly. 

She stuck her tongue out at me. “Only because I have to be. Bound by blood and all that.”  

I couldn’t help but smile.

Maximus is also back in the picture.  It seems like a good thing at first but we don't know the real Maximus and I don't really trust him.  Her parents are another cringe worthy story.  If you don't have parental support then what do you have?  We see a new side to Mr. and Mrs. Palomino along with some long awaited answers.  Ugh I feel so bad for Perry.  What she's going through and feeling so alone in this.  

“You,” I started to say but my mouth flapped shut. And my eyes closed. Somewhere far away I heard my mother whisper, “Sorry.”

This book is a rollercoaster of emotions.  Terrifying heights, the feeling of the floor being dropped from beneath you, the lowest of lows.  AND SPIDERS!  I HATE SPIDERS!  The horrific encounters she faced were enough for me to not want to read too late at night.  I was outside around midnight reading on my kindle when I heard screaming in the surrounding neighborhood.  LOL.  It was a drunk guy but it made me jump in my seat nonetheless.

The last 30% of this book moves very fast.  Situations are escalated and help comes from unlikely places.  Dex has some great page time and gives me hope for future installments.

He reached over and stroked my hand gently. His touch made gooseflesh appear on my arm. “It’s true. I’m not trying to scare you. In fact, you’re the one who’s scaring me. As usual. But we have to go. Will you come with me?”

The ending was just crazy.  Oh.My.Word.  Fantastic.  For a book 5 in a series, I am still hanging on every written word, can't get enough.  Some series after so long can get stagnant and that is not the case here .  I'll repeat.  You really don't know where the story is going next and I'm thrilled to find something new that has captured my attention so thoroughly.  Though there is a cliffhanger, the ending left me satisfied and I'm glad to have some of the mysteries that have popped up since Darkhouse answered.

I wrap up my review with a personal favorite quote from Dex:

“Perry,” he said quietly, his fingers trailing down the side of my face, “you’ll never have to save my life. You gave me life. I never lived a single day until the day I first met you.”

Next up in the Experiment in Terror series? Old Blood  a novella featuring Pippa followed by the next full length I'm anxiously waiting for Into the Hollow.  

Want more? Check out:
Experiment in Terror
Experiment in Terror Facebook
MetalBlonde on Twitter

I'm excited to announce that Karina Halle will be doing a guest post here at Sinfully Delicious Book Reviews in the near future. Stay tuned!!!

Review Time! ~ Lying Season

Lying Season (Experiment in Terror #4)

By Karina Halle

My rating~  5 for 5!!!

Ama­teur ghost-hunter Perry Palomino has bat­tled ghosts, fought off skin­walk­ers and skirted the fine line between life and death. But can she sur­vive bunk­ing down in Seat­tle for a week with her partner (and man she secretly loves) Dex and his perfect girl­friend, Jennifer? And can she do so while being tor­mented by a mali­cious spirit from Dex’s increas­ingly shady past? With love and life in the bal­ance, Perry must dis­cover the truth among the lies or risk los­ing every­thing she's ever cared about.(via Goodreads)

 Lying Season has Perry on her way to Seattle to film for her show Experiment in Terror at an asylum. So where oh where does one stay while in Seattle? With Dex and his girlfriend Jenn of course! Oy, is that awkward as hell? I tried to stomach along with Perry that increasingly precarious arrangement.

“Yep,” I said, pulling the shoes out of the box. His brows went to the heavens. 

“Wow. Those are like…Jenn shoes.” 

“These are not hooker shoes,” I said defensively. 

“Well played,” he said.

Not only does Perry get to meet Jenn, but pretty much all of ShowNet's employees at the holiday party.

But I'm getting waaaay ahead of myself! We have a great addition to the cast in the form of Rebecca Sims, fellow Wine Babe. The moment she was introduced, I knew I was going to like her. She's blunt but very sincere. The type of character I'm hopeful can be a great friend to Perry.

But ah ah ah! That's not all! We meet the duo who are blatantly ripping off their show idea. Slime ball male host and a very snooty female lead. Unfortunate for Dex and Perry, they cross their paths again.

The thrills only get more terrifying as the series continues. At times I'm definitely thinking "oh my god, oh my god, oh my god! This can't be happening!" But it is and I admire Perry more and more for all the shit she has to go through. This installment is definitely more personal than the first three. We learn so much about these two.

“What are you saying?” I said softly. 

“I’m saying that you’re like my best friend,” he said. “You are my best friend, and I could never let pills take away what makes you, you. Your heart. And your beautiful soul.”

My e-books always have a ridiculous amount of highlights and this is no different. The moments between Dex and Perry always run a wide range of emotions but the tender moments are just amazing. How two characters can be so right for each other and not be together has me on pins and needles wondering will it happen? when? please, please, please?

The ending of this book was such a shocker! I'm still kind of reeling from it! I can't say a single thing! But know I was cursing like a sailor under my breath.


Want more? Check out:
Experiment in Terror
Experiment in Terror Facebook
MetalBlonde on Twitter

Review: Dead Sky Morning

Dead Sky Morning (Experiment in Terror #3)

By Karina Halle

Rating: 5 of 5 Stars

With the Experiment in Terror show finding some success, amateur ghost hunters Perry Palomino and Dex Foray embark on their most terrifying investigation yet. A tiny, fog-shrouded island in the rough strait between British Columbia and Washington State has held a dark secret for decades: It was a former leper colony where over forty souls were left to rot, die and bury each other. Now a functioning campground, Perry and Dex spend an isolated weekend there to investigate potential hauntings but as the duo quickly find out, there is more to fear on D’Arcy Island than just ghosts. The island quickly pits partner against partner, spiraling the pair into madness that serves to destroy their sanity, their relationship and their very lives.

(via Goodreads)

“Look, kiddo, I saved your ass,” he grimaced, wiping away a tear. 

“It’s a pretty big ass.” 

The smile came easily to his lips, his eyes red but dancing. “We both know how I feel about your ass.”

____________________________________________________

“I’m more observant than you think. Now, without any more jerking off from you, I suggest you get packing as fast as you can. I’ll help. Where are your bras and underwear?”

Dead Sky Morning highlights yet another adventure for Perry and Dex while they investigate spooky places for their show Experiment in Terror on ShowNet. Karina takes us to a terrifying new locale where Perry and Dex will grow closer together just to be torn apart and question each-others sanity.

But before all the crazy stuff begins, we have our favorite duo in more light hearted moments like above. My fascination with these two grows with each book. Dex still has his girlfriend Jenn but we see such great chemistry between Perry and Dex that I just wonder when Dex will realize it. Sometimes he is so sweet and gentle with Perry and I just melt. 

“You know, kiddo…you’re way better than any of these women,” he said seriously, his eyes still on the stage. “You just need some confidence.” 

That I knew. And I was getting better. But confidence didn’t come out of nowhere. 

“You’ve got a beautiful face,” he continued, his voice a register lower. The roughness of it made the hairs on my arms stand up. “Gorgeous eyes. I mean I’ve rarely seen eyes like yours. Fuck. It’s like looking out at the ocean, trying to read it as the weather’s changing. Perfect lips. The most adorable freckles and the tiniest little nose. You’re like a sexy…bunny.”

It's hard to read this type of stuff knowing Perry's deep feelings for Dex. I just want to protect her from falling too hard, too fast for him.  He has his moments where he just knows the right thing to say at the right time to boost up Perry's ego. But then he may follow it up with a "but it doesn't matter what I think" type a thing that she takes the wrong way.  He is so good about complimenting her and trying to get her to see her own worth and not care so much of what others think. I love him more and more with each book. He is such a tortured character and little by little we get to see why that is the case. 

D'Arcy Island is scary as hell. The island was used as a leper colony at the turn of the 20th century mostly for Chinese immigrants and has an unsavory past because of that. Perry and Dex have a terrifying adventure witnessing nightmares coming true and not knowing where to run to. 

Great plot, perfect pace and a wonderful addition to the continuing story arc. I recommend this to anyone interested in haunted places, an unconventional love story in the making and just a damn fine piece of fiction. 

“What if I really am alone?” 

“Baby, you aren’t alone. I’m here.”

Watch the trailer for Dead Sky Morning and other trailer/outtakes at the ShownetInc channel on YouTube.

Other links:

Experiment in Terror

Experiment in Terror Facebook

MetalBlonde on Twitter

Review: Red Fox

Red Fox (Experiment in Terror #2)

By Karina Halle

Rating: 5 of 5 Stars

With Book Two of the Experiment in Terror Series, Perry Palomino and Dex Foray trade in the stormy Oregon coast for the unforgiving deserts of New Mexico.

In the for­got­ten town of Red Fox, a Navajo cou­ple is tor­tured by things unseen and by motives unknown. Wild ani­mals slink through their house in the dark, a bar­rage of stones pound their roof nightly, and muti­lated sheep car­casses are turn­ing up on their prop­erty. Armed with a cam­era and just enough to go on, Perry and Dex travel to the des­o­late locale, hop­ing to film the super­nat­ural occur­rences and add cred­i­bil­ity to their flail­ing web­cast. Only their show has a lot more work­ing against them than just grow­ing pains. Tested by dubi­ous ranch hands, a ghost from Dex’s past, and shapeshift­ing decep­tion, the ama­teur ghost hunters must learn to trust each other in order to fight the most ancient of myths…or die trying.

(via Goodreads)

Red Fox starts off shortly after where Darkhouse ends. The pilot webisode has aired and Perry and Dex set off to Red Fox, New Mexico to investigate crazy happenings at a ranch. The couple who owns the ranch are Navajo but devout Christians so Perry and Dex have to pretend like they are married. Awkward! 

“This is cozy,” I blurted out. I turned my face away from his. 

“We could make it cozier,” he grinned, the bristles on his moustache sticking up. He seemed quite relaxed, considering what had happened earlier and considering what he had been going through.

“You’re just begging for a pillow fight, aren’t you?”

Dex is such a flirt! I seriously adore him. We learn more about Dex in this book but only a little. He is a never-ending puzzle to try to figure out. 

Perry is awesome. She really is one of my favorite characters in a book series. Little by little we learn more about her and what her "abilities" might be. I would shit my pants to experience even a sliver of the paranormal activity she comes across. She is a strong women though she may not see herself that way. We start to see that how she views herself differs from how other people see her. She is her own worst enemy.

Maximus is a new character introduced who used to be in the band Sing Sin Sinatra with Dex. He is the one who recommends the duo to investigate the activity at the farm. 

The Ranch. Oy, crazy cray cray stuff going down. How they could sleep at night there is beyond me. But it's descriptively written and so creepy. I enjoyed the plot tremendously. I love how Karina adds myths/beliefs of the Navajo culture and how it all plays out.

Overall thoughts: I was hooked on this series from book one. This second installment does not disappoint and gets 5 whole stars. I loved every minute of it: the location, the creep factor, the character growth of Perry and Dex. Miss Halle has created a wonderful series that mimics nothing I have ever read before. 

I leave you with this...

“It’s our song,” he said. He held out his hand. I took it, as if in slow motion, and let him lead me onto the dance floor. 

He put one arm around my waist, holding me snuggly against him. It was a different kind of awkward than it was with Maximus. It was a wonderful, head-spinning awkwardness that made my heart beat out of my chest and my knees turn to putty. 

He held my hand with his other one and grinned at me, our faces so intoxicatingly close that he grazed the top of my head with the felt brim of his hat. I kept my eyes on those cocoa brown orbs of his. It wasn’t hard. 

And then…then he started singing along with Joel’s voice. Softly, quietly. I was such a sucker right there and then and he knew it, that bastard. If he wasn’t holding me up, my spine would have collapsed in a warm puddle of blissed-out nerves. 

He leaned further in and sang into my ear, a deep murmur that sent shivers through me that I tried to contain. Why was he doing this to me? 

We didn’t say anything else to each other. We just moved as one, gliding through the night. It was like a telephoto shot; he was the only thing in focus. Everything else just slipped away, a blur. It was wrong in so many ways, but it felt so right. I felt whole, as stupid as that sounds. I felt like nothing else mattered but this moment right now. Fuck (view spoiler) the filming, the ranch, the show. I just needed this. I wanted this.

Please check out What the Cat Read for a special excerpt from Dex's POV from the scene mentioned above.



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Review: Darkhouse

Darkhouse (Experiment in Terror #1)
By Karina Halle
Rating: 4 of 5 stars

With all the vampire, werewolf and faerie books out there, it's easy to become numb to all things supernatural. The antidote? Darkhouse introduces two real and unforgettable characters, Perry Palomino & Dex Foray, amateur ghost hunters who are "attractive, relatable and oddly heroic," "flawed but loveable," "slightly crazy" and just the most endearing pair to ever tackle the paranormal...just don't call them normal. Darkhouse is a thrilling and sexy new take on concepts like Supernatural and The X-Files, bringing a breath of fresh air to a genre that has been inundated with the dead.

(via Goodreads)

Wow... Just wow. Darkhouse  is a very promising start  in the Experiment in Terror series.  We meet Perry who is 22, is a receptionist at a marketing firm and stuck in the 90's.  Musically the 90's were awesome.  Quite a bit of my playlist is 90's and Perry, girl after my own heart, knows her stuff. That deserves bonus points just at the get go.

Her and her family go on a trip up the coast to stay at her uncles house. While her young cousins and 15 year old sister are drinking at a campfire, she decides to go with her camera to check out the old lighthouse on the family property. Just the thought of abandoned lighthouses can make you shiver.

Once inside, the creep factor magnifies 100 times. It's spooky as hell. She literally runs into someone once inside and the thrills continue from there. She meets Dex who is hidden in shadows and evasive with answering questions. Her cousins come in to check on her and Dex suddenly disappears. Was he a figment of her imagination?

Back at home after that interesting weekend,  her sister is sick and asks her to update her blog so she doesn't lose followers. Perry decides to blog about her experience at the lighthouse and add video clips.

It's a huge success, soon Dex gets in contact with her and has a proposal she finds hard to refuse.  He's a cameraman for ShowNet online and has this idea for a new show.  Dex and Perry head back to the lighthouse with proper cameras and the hopes of catching some activity to create a pilot.  Awkward road trips, crazy clown ladies, stormy weather.  And that's just the tip of the iceberg.

This series is amazing. The creep factor is huge. I love Perry, she's a real girl with real curves. ;) Dex is just an enigma at this point. So mysterious and his personality changes at the drop of a hat. He's sexy. That's it. I said it. He's now in my fictional boyfriend harem.  I love these two and can't wait to see what this series has in store for them!

GO READ IT! YOU WON'T BE DISAPPOINTED!

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As of 5.12.12 Darkhouse is free on Amazon.
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