Death Gets A Book

Frank Elder is back with a book about Death.

I'm not kidding, it's a book about Death. There's a whole society of the little buggers (both literally and figuratively) running around offing people when it's been deemed their time.

How does one join such an organization? Well in the case of Vincent, it all started with a trip to Mexico and a night out to see something most people only learned about because of Clerks II. Since it's not a tourist spot, one of the locals sees fit to pull a prank and the next thing you know, a shallow grave is involved.

Vincent meets Death after he admits he's late (and tarted up to look like a Dia de los Muertos candy skull), but they weren't supposed to meet in that fashion. They were supposed to meet, a soul exchange would occur and zippidy do da. Instead, Vincent is now another death meaning Tart Death screwed up.

Moving along, Vincent Death is put through the steps, gets his Death stuff and gets reassigned to a post back home, which was expected. Soul collection can go faster if you know your way around an area (and don't have to rely on something like Apple Maps taking you off an overpass). Vincent Death is given his first assignment and off he goes.....

....to have the soul stolen by his harpy of a dead wife, who has become something Death hates- a banshee. They're both in the soul collection business, but realistically, most people would want a scythe then to be screeched to death.

Vincent Death's screw up is recognized by another Death and they go against code to get the soul back from the banshee. Just when they think they've got it, more banshees show up and we find out that they're organizing. They're tired of competing against Death Co and want to get rid of the competition.

Skip skip skip TINY TINY DEATH skip skip skip MONSTER TRUCK RALLY skip skip skip

Now here's where it gets fun- Vincent Death promised the daughter of the soul he screwed up collecting that he would make things right. He has to admit failure, she volunteers to get dead and in another screw up, she's not Death, but another banshee. As if that's not bad enough, the bean counters have figured out something isn't right and now they have to punish Death.

Skip skip skip BANSHEE DEATH skip skip skip HAPPY ENDING skip skip skip BONUS MATERIAL skip skip skip THEY'RE REAL!

Long story short (too late!), Death Gets A Book is another fun read from the mind of Frank Elder. There really is a bonus short story included and you'll have to read both in order to make sure you're getting all references mentioned above. It's cheeky good fun! Just ask Death

The Halloweeners

Author John Hennessy starts off his Halloween tale by explaining that Halloween celebrations in England are different than Halloween celebrations in America.

Makes sense. Even in America, Halloween is celebrated in different ways.

Then the author introduces us to The Halloweeners- Kirsty, Nula, Toby and the new guy, Craig.

The whole story centers around getting ready for trick or treating and following their yearly theme. Naturally, there's a route that has to be followed and the dare to go to the spooky house with the spooky person.

As the day draws closer, it seems the once close group is starting to fall apart. There are disagreements about the route, what's real, personalities and the usual teenage shenanigans.

But everything isn't quite what it seems.

So I'll ask you- Trick or Treat?

Next year, it's your turn.

Return of the Pumpkins

When we met the pumpkins in 2015, it was pretty straightforward- they were magically murderlicious!

When Lacey Lane announced the pumpkins would be coming back, I'm pretty sure I wasn't the only one excited and followed updates on Twitter about the release, as well as offering some pretty odd fan theories about what they might be doing.

So what have the pumpkins been up to? What revenge are they seeking?

Well that's the fun part in all of this. It turns out the pumpkins left a lasting impression on the child in the first book- Peter.

Peter is no longer a child, but sadly has been spending this part of his life in a mental ward haunted by the events of that night. And his remaining family hasn't visited him. And he's haunted by the events of the night.

And he relies on the blue pill. No, not that one. What do you think you're reading?!

Peter meets someone in the current hospital who helps him want to start living again and forget the nightmare from all those years ago.

But during a little field trip, something happens and you're left wondering if that horrible night all those years ago really was those magically murderlicious pumpkins.........