Tag: novella

Posted in Horror, Novella/Short Story

Granny’s House

Posted on by Mama

Title: Granny’s House

Author: CJ Shafer

Pages: 92

Genre: Horror, Novella

Do you believe in ghosts?

When a family home that has haunted his mind for decades is listed for sale, an independent author becomes obsessed on proving that ghosts reside within its walls; while simultaneously trying to gather material for a new book.

Evenin’ brave bookworms!

It’s me again… your macabre book bestie (we’ll skip the possibly copyrighted intro 😏).

This one slid across my Instagram feed and immediately had me hooked. The author, CJ Shafer, was calling for ARC readers and honestly, who am I to resist a haunted house story? I reached out (boldly, and as per his instructions…as one does) and was lucky enough to receive a copy. Huge thanks to CJ for trusting me with this one. I hope I do it justice.

If you’re craving an all encompassing paranormal ride, this one delivers.

We’re pulled into a slow, spiraling descent into unease, all rooted in what first feels like the most beautiful, memory-soaked family home. CJ paints it with this nostalgic, almost comforting brush, that is until the cracks start to show. From childhood fears of a dark, looming basement (and yes… those open steps. Why are they always like that in creepy basements?), to teenage years shadowed by something not quite right on the top floor, and into adulthood where those memories refuse to stay buried.

There’s this thread of quiet obsession running through it all. Even decades after the house is sold, the pull never really lets go. And when a trick of fate nudges CJ back into its orbit; even though it’s changed on the surface there is still that same watching presence…you just know nothing good is coming.

Let’s just say… a little B&E into the old house turns into something much more than anticipated.

The paranormal elements? Completely unsettling. The kind that creeps in slowly and then lingers a little too long after you’ve put the book down. I won’t lie, there were moments that genuinely got under my skin.

But here’s the thing this book is not just eerie, it’s fun. The twists keep you second-guessing everything, including your own sense of reality while reading. And as someone who does believe in the paranormal (and has a few stories of my own 👀), this one still managed to make me pause and question a few things.

Highly recommend adding this to your TBR, especially with its release set for June 5, 2026.

Hope you enjoyed the review and as always…

Meet you after dark.

💀Your cozy-macabre book bestie

Posted in Horror, Novella/Short Story

Dead Zoo

Posted on by Mama

Title: Dead Zoo

Author: Mike Harris

Pages: 66

Genre: Horror, short story

There’s something wrong with the animals.

Located a short drive off the highway, Highland Zoo entertained children and families for generations. Until one day, it didn’t. Now an unwitting group of fresh graduates on their last summer road trip are about to discover why the once beloved roadside attraction suddenly shut down and learn life’s harshest lesson.

Somethings should stay dead.

Hello brave bookworms!

Back with a short story review and this one is equal parts fun and gruesome.

This was a buddy read with some of my fellow Bookstagram friends (and if you’re not following along over there… what are you doing? 👀). I’ll be sharing their takes alongside mine too, which makes this one even more fun to dive into.

The premise immediately hooked me: a group of friends stumble across an abandoned zoo… except it’s not quite abandoned. Intriguing, right?

We follow Jenna, Ray, Troy, Abby, and Lee, a group with wildly different personalities and just enough underlying tension (especially between the girls) to keep things interesting. What starts as a spontaneous road trip detour quickly spirals into something much darker when they pull up to a zoo in the middle of nowhere; no cars, no families, no staff… just that heavy, wrong kind of silence.

And from there? Things unravel fast.

What they find lurking inside is far beyond anything they expected. As fear sets in and survival instincts take over, the story really leans into the question of who people become when pushed to their limits and it’s not always pretty.

The atmosphere is consistently eerie and unsettling, and the animal descriptions? Absolutely monstrous and grotesque in the best way, blending horror with something almost fantastical. I ate it up!

Bonus: it’s a super quick read, which makes it perfect for when you want something creepy without the full commitment.

If you’re in the mood for something spooky, fast-paced, and just a little bit brutal….this one’s definitely worth picking up!

Hope you enjoyed the review and as always…

Meet you after dark.

💀Your cozy-macabre book bestie

Posted in Mystery, Novella/Short Story, Thrillers

Graveyard Shift

Posted on by Mama

Original post from my Mom blog here – https://mamaonthemove1.wordpress.com/2026/02/25/book-review-graveyard-shift/

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Title: Graveyard Shift


Author: M.L. Rio


Genre: Fiction, Thriller, Mystery, Horror, Novella


Number of Pages: 126


My Rating: 💋💋💋💋


Book Summary:

Author of sales sensation If We Were Villains returns with a story about a ragtag group of night shift workers who meet in the local cemetery to unearth the secrets lurking in an open grave.

Every night, in the college’s ancient cemetery, five people cross paths as they work the late shift: a bartender, a rideshare driver, a hotel receptionist, the steward of the derelict church that looms over them, and the editor-in-chief of the college paper, always in search of a story.

One dark October evening in the defunct churchyard, they find a hole that wasn’t there before. A fresh, open grave where no grave should be. But who dug it, and for whom?

Before they go their separate ways, the gravedigger returns. As they trail him through the night, they realize he may be the key to a string of strange happenings around town that have made headlines for the last few weeks—and that they may be closer to the mystery than they thought.

Atmospheric and eerie, with the ensemble cast her fans love and a delightfully familiar academic backdrop, Graveyard Shift is a modern Gothic tale in If We Were Villains author M. L. Rio’s inimitable style.

My Thoughts:

I actually really enjoyed this novella. It was short, captivating and filled with intrigue. I truly couldn’t put it down and devoured the whole thing in a few hours. What?! I’m a bit of a slow reader okay!

It catches your attention right from the start and I love the individual chapters for each character. It allows for different perspectives and narratives. A bunch of insomniacs meeting in an abandon graveyard to have a few smokes and chat. Only to encounter a mysterious gravedigger, but what are they burying?!

There is a sense of foreboding as our edgy “Scooby gang” follows him around and slowly uncover the truth behind his midnight burial. There is more to this then meets the eye and is definitely linked to other events that have been happening around campus and the local bar haunt. I even loved that one of the characters in the group is also linked to what is going on to our mystery digger.

However I won’t give any spoilers in this one, but I just wish this was an actual novel rather then just a novel. I would have loved to see more character development, more links to the scientific aspect in all this and more justice frankly. But honestly my absolute favourite portion of the whole thing was the atmosphere that the author portrays.

I know a lot of the reviews thought this was meh, but for a novella I thought it was pretty spot on. Again, I honestly wish this was an actual novel, not just a novella. I do recommend if you want some strange vibes, awesome atmosphere and a little mystery for a quick read. I will be reading more from this author for sure!

Hope you enjoyed and keep an eye out for the next review which will be The Summer I Turned Pretty Trilogy by Jenny Han.

Ciao!