Book Review | Inheriting Her Ghosts by S.H. Cooper

Inheriting Her Ghosts is a horror novella by S.H. Cooper.

Inheritance often comes with strings attached, but rarely are they as tangled as those hanging over High Hearth.

When Eudora Fellowes learns she's the sole heir of her estranged great-aunt's seaside manor, she believes it will be the peaceful escape she's longed for. What awaits, however, is a dark legacy shrouded in half a century of secrets, and it doesn't take long before Eudora realizes she's not the only one to call High Hearth home.

I love reading books by S.H. Cooper.

I'm not always a fan of Gothic stories, but Cooper's writing style works so well for me in Inheriting Her Ghosts. This book is filled with ghosts, dogs, and a strong woman MC among other things, but that's really all I need.

Inheriting Her Ghosts turned out to be such a comfort read for me. When I need a hug from something scary, I will reach for this book again. Recommended!

⭐⭐⭐⭐★
4/5 stars

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Book Review | All That's Fair by S.H. Cooper

All That's Fair is a horror short story collection by S.H. Cooper. 

A maiden looking for love in all the wrong places.

A mother in an endless search for missing children.

A crone whose passing is marked by the tinkling of tiny bells.

All That’s Fair is a collection of twenty-two short horror stories themed around women who are made up of anything but sugar, spice, and everything nice. Be they human, ghost, or something else entirely, one thing holds true for all: These are not the girls you’ll find (or want) next door.

All That's Fair contains 22 horror short stories. These short stories really are short which helped make All That's Fair a fun book to fly through. Several of Cooper's stories made me think this would be a great collection for adults like me who grew up loving the Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark volumes.

Don't get me wrong in my comparison to Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark. The comparison fits because she has such a fun storytelling style that I love, but her stories are also disturbing.

After loving her novella The Festering Ones {my review}, I jumped at the opportunity to read All That's Fair, and I'm so glad that I did.

My favorite stories in the collection were The O'Sullivan Song, Twelve Hands, The Crone's Woods, The Wishing Sisters, and The Hardest Lesson.

⭐⭐⭐⭐★

Content warning: suicide

Review copy provided by the author

Book Review | The Festering Ones by S.H. Cooper

The Festering Ones is a horror novella by S.H. Cooper.

A monster lurking in the mountain.

A mysterious cult seeking a doorway.

An otherworldly evil waiting to be unleashed.

Faith York was a young girl when she saw her father dragged into the ground by a spider-armed woman, never to be seen again. Twenty years later, the events of that day continue to haunt her, and her need for answers has only grown stronger with time. After her estranged mother's death forces her to return home, old wounds are reopened and Faith finally decides to face her demons. What started as a search for closure soon pits her against a shadowy cult known as The Gathered and the eldritch beings they worship. With reality becoming more blurred by the day and the thousand eyes of an alien deity fixed on her, Faith must decide if the dark secrets of White Crow Mountain are really worth losing herself over.

I read The Festering Ones last month in celebration of Women in Horror Month (although every month is WiHM around here). It was such a perfect start to kick off the month.

The novella length is one of my favorite formats for a horror story. One of the complaints I often see regarding novellas is there's not enough time for development. The Festering Ones is a great example of how well a story can be developed in this format if it's done right.

I'm not even sure how to describe The Festering Ones, but if you like cults and monsters, this one's for you! I'm happy to hear there's going to be a sequel because I'm here for it.

⭐⭐⭐⭐★