Bentley Little | Musings of the Monster Librarian

Behind by Bentley Little

Cemetery Dance,2024

ISBN: 978-1-58767-970-4

Available: Kindle edition

A new Bentley Little novel is always cause for celebration for horror fans. The author has made a living playing off our primal fears through the lens of what truly causes us terror– school, corporations, identity, dysfunctional families, and the DMV. This time, Little tackles something a bit more recent– the big C (no, not that one. The one that kept us on lockdown and showed us who had brains and who didn’t). Yet instead of focusing on the pandemic itself, the author dives into how life itself changed.

Alex Lowry finds himself out of work, thanks to downsizing. He could go the normal route, as many did, seeking another corporate job to bore the life out of him:. his wife, Jennifer, begs him to use her father’s connections to find something “respectable.”. Of course, that doesn’t happen– and that’s where the Bentley Little we know and love, unfolds his story in prime fashion.

His ex-colleague, Britta, brainstorms a cool idea. It’s like DoorDash, GrubHub, or one of the other delivery services that rose to prominence during the dark years. Yet, instead of food or toilet paper, they deliver odd items to even odder clients. It begins innocently enough, as most of Little’s plots do, but soon takes a hard left turn. It pays well, once the business takes off. Alex finds himself enjoying his strange new profession.

There’s one problem, though. When he was a child, he saw a house behind his own. It wasn’t supposed to be there. By the laws of physics and reality, it can’t be there, but it is.

His parents died in an accident, and he moved on– until now.

The house is back. His in-laws notice it– and reality begins to unravel.

What’s behind it?

If you’re familiar with Bentley Little’s work, you know this is where things can get truly odd, but still relevant to the social issues of the day, complete with characters who embody us– although that includes the darker, stranger, hidden sides of us that we keep from the scrutinizing eyes of those on our block, our workplace, and our relationships.

Part satire, part horror story, but all entertainment, Behind is Little’s best work in a long time. Some might say it’s a straight-up ghost story or haunted tale, but fans know it’s something deeper.

The writing is smooth and deceptive. It might appear simple at first, but readers will find themselves immersed in the language and relevance to who and what we are.

It’s a fascinating, terrifying novel, and one that comes highly recommended. What makes a great horror novel is the people who inhabit them. Little has always known this and loves to screw with his readers– and they love him for it.

Reviewed by David Simms

It’s Cold Outside: Books To Heat You Up

Brr. Freezing temperatures have meant I’m stuck inside, wearing multiple layers and telling my kids to get their cold feet off of me. Don’t get me wrong, it is beautiful out there, but I am about to go stir crazy. Friends of mine are sharing photos from their holiday vacations in Mexico and the Caribbean, with sunny, bright blue skies, and I so want to soak up some of that warmth.

Alas, I’m in the freezing Midwest, and I’m not going anywhere. And wherever you are, unless you’re in Florida, you”re probably feeling some frosty weather coming your way as well. In the spirit of escaping it all for warmer climes, I thought I’d give you a list of titles that take place in warmer locales. While we’ve reviewed some of the books on this list, I can’t vouch for them all, and as always, not every book is right for every reader. Still, here are some books to add some heat to your TBR pile.

The Lamplighters by Frazer Lee (reviewed here). Working on an island paradise is not all it’s cracked up to be.

The Island of Dr. Moreau by H.G. Wells. A classic tale of mad science and genetic manipulation.

Shady Palms by Allen Dusk (reviewed here). Want to vacation in California? You’ll want to avoid staying at Shady Palms.

Amazonas by Allan Peter Ryan (reviewed here). An atmospheric tale of a journey down the Amazon and into supernatural horror.

The Disappearance by Bentley Little (reviewed here). A college student mysteriously disappears while on vacation at the Burning Man festival in Nevada.

Slither by Edward Lee (reviewed here) Lee creates a deadly mix with killer worms, scientists, the military, and a bunch of college students, and plenty of gore and sexual violence, taking place on a tropical island in the Gulf of Mexico.

Tropic of Darkness by Tony Richard (reviewed here). Havana, Cuba may be a delightful place to visit, but the music there can be deadly.

Lost Girl of the Lake by Joe McKinney and Michael McCarthy (reviewed here). Mark expected summer vacation in Gaitlinville, Texas to be boring, but it turned out to be a haunting experience.

Red Rain by R.L. Stine (reviewed here). A novel for grown-ups from the master of children’s horror. Travel writer Lea Sutter is trapped on an island in South Carolina during a hurricane, and returns home with two strange children orphaned by the storm.

Tribesmen by Adam Cesare (reviewed here). A producer sends his movie crew to a Caribbean island to film a B-movie horror film, using the natives as extras.

Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton. Dinosaurs recreated for an amusement park near Costa Rica behave, well, like dinosaurs, with disastrous results.

The Ballad of Ballard and Sandrine by Peter Straub (reviewed here). In this atmospheric tale of subtle horror, Ballard and Sandrine are on a cruise down the Amazon that seems to take place during a time warp, beginning in 1969 and ending in 1997.

Zombie Fever: Malaysia Outbreak by B.M. Hodges. Abigail and Jaime join a reality show that has them racing across the Malaysian Peninsula, which has been overrun by zombies. We have a review of this one coming soon.

The Island by Richard Laymon (reviewed here) Told in diary format, this is the story of Rupert, his girlfriend Connie, and her family, stranded on an island and stalked by a killer. Note, Laymon is not for the faint of heart.

Here’s hoping one of these warms you up, or at least distracts you while you try to stave off the chills. Happy reading!