David Bernstein (1)Rezensionen

I loved this book! I was captured from the first chapter and it didn't let me go till the end!

Witch Island is off limits to the town residents as an actual witch put a curse on the island back in the early 1900's when she was burned alive. She cursed all the people that had a hand in killing her and she cursed their future generations.

Of course, it is all a myth, right? There is no such things as witches and curses. A few friends decide to forego everything that their parents have warned them about the island and go have a graduation party on the island to prove that there is nothing to the legend.

Little do they know that they have just stepped into a nightmare when they dock their canoes on the island. Out of all the friends, only two of them are protected as they have magic rings to protect them from the curse. When one of the friends finds something interesting under the ground and digs it up, no one is prepared for the consequences of that discovery.

Mother Nature literally comes alive and the friends are in for facing their worst fears as the killings and gore start flying. Lots of gore, suspense, and action within these pages!

Giving it five stars for keeping me glued to my kindle and up in the wee hours of the morning trying to finish it.

This was a fast paced book filled with twists and turns throughout the book!

The story revolves around two hit men that break down out in the middle of nowhere and they are trying to find a place where they can make a phone call. They come upon what appears to be a house that has seen better days. They try everything they can to break into the house, but they have a hard time as it is reinforced for some reason. They finally do break in and they ransack the house seeing what they can take. There is not much of anything worth taking in the house except for an old briefcase. When they open it, they are speechless as the case is full of diamonds.

The men start a chain reaction of disaster after opening the briefcase as things happen where the briefcase ends up changing hands multiple times within few days. The briefcase manipulates the minds of the people that come in contact with it and gives them their desires for a price. The stakes are high and their lives take a turn for the worse as the briefcase makes its rounds from person to person. Four stars for this one.

I have to admit that I'm not a big reader of short stories. I prefer stories that require more of a time investment. In other words, novels. However, the exception to that are horror short stories. I love them. I read my first scary short stories as a child. Remember those anthologies of ghost stories you could order from the Scholastic book flyer? I later graduated to Stephen King's short stories and many of his are among my favorites. I think horror works for me in short story format (unlike other genres) because horror can be such a fast paced medium. For instance, horror films are usually no more than 2 hours long, but they still pack a punch. Did I mention that horror films are my favorite? But I digress. What I'm getting at here is that I love horror short stories, especially those that are as good as the stories in A Mixed Bag of Blood.

I love horror that pulls no punches and this author knows his stuff when it comes to that. Some of the stories are a play on our fears of foreign invasion, whether it be in our world, or our bodies. Others bring forth the monsters we're terrified of...zombies, vampires, Bigfoot (we lived in a house surrounded by woods when I was growing up, and yes, I was terrified of Bigfoot. Don't laugh). Some are very gross, yet funny in their message while still being horrific. I'm not going to go into detail because short stories are very easy to spoil for others. Suffice it to say that each story has something to offer.

This slim volume of 125 pages contains 10 stories. I enjoyed every one of them. This "Mixed Bag of Blood" is a must read for any horror fan. I mean it.

(I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review)

This was a fast paced revenge tale that pulled no punches.

Beth Baker is 82 and she's tired of listening to her neighbor beat his wife every night. However, he's a policeman and her neighbor can't stand up to him. Since Beth lost her daughter to an abuser, she can't take it anymore. And since her dead daughter is visiting her every night urging her to do something, she does.

This novella rushes right along to its all out crushing finale and has you rooting for the 82 year old Beth the entire way. Will she get her revenge for what happened to her daughter? You'll have to read this to find out.

I recommend this quick novella to lovers of well written revenge stories, who do not mind a touch of extreme horror.

*I was provided a free copy of this novella to honestly review and that is what I have done.*

Find this review and others like it at: www.Horrorafterdark.com.

This was an intense read! Here is the set up:

Under the control of a madman...with no way out.

Aaron Dupree has turned his life around. After serving six years in prison for his part in an armed robbery, he’s released on parole. He’s gotten a job and met a girl. Things are looking up...until he’s pulled over for speeding—a parole violation—and blackmailed by the officer. He’s forced to do terrible things to avoid going back to prison.

Aaron soon learns how truly deranged and sick the officer is as he’s dragged under a tide of ever-escalating horror. He thinks he’s seen the worst the cop has to offer until he meets the man with the scar, a vicious and twisted monster who lives only to deal pain.

I enjoyed the first half of this book the best, even though it wasn't the most original premise. I knew what I was getting into from the description.

However, the second half of this story was a bit too much for my personal tastes. As a horror fan, there isn't much that surprises me. The depravity of certain torturers/killers, in real life and in fiction, is something I have gotten used to over the years. In stories like "The Girl Next Door" by Jack Ketchum and "The Summer I Died" by Ryan C. Thomas, the worst of humanity is on display. The same is true for this book-plus some.

I was able to deal with this depravity more easily in the two books that I mentioned because one was a true story, and the other had a bond between the characters that made the story rise above. This story lacked that in my opinion. It morphed into something that I was no longer interested in reading. It was mostly well written, the editing was fantastic and the imagination and creativity were off the charts, but this just wasn't for me in the end. I did finish it and I have rated it three stars for the above reasons.

If this story sounds interesting to you, please-go for it! It will deliver all of things you enjoy-and deliver it in spades. My rating only represents my opinion, and you know what they say about those. (Like assholes, everyone has one!) I will continue to read the work of Mr. Bernstein, because I believe he is one of the up and coming horror authors of today.

Recommended for fans of torture and revenge stories!

I was provided a free copy of this book by Mr. Bernstein in exchange for my honest review. This is it.

3.5 stars!

This novella was a lot of fun!

Picture it as a B-grade movie-one of the Friday the 13th movies, maybe. You don't spend a lot of time getting to know the characters because you know what's going to happen to them in the end. Perhaps, you'll let yourself get attached to one of them, if you think that might be the one that survives.

The villain in this book was pretty cool and I would be interested in learning more about his backstory, his store, and his powers.

If you go into this with that B-movie mindset, I think you'll enjoy this tale. It's not exactly literary, but not everything has to be. Sometimes you're just in the mood for some bloody, not too serious entertainment, and this story fits the bill perfectly.

I recommend this novella if you're in the mood for some B movie massacre fun!

*I received a free eARC from Net Galley/Darkfuse in exchange for an honest review. This is it!*

Horror After Dark is currently giving away a copy of Goblins here:
http://www.horrorafterdark.com/2015/08/giveaway-goblins-by-david-bernstein/
And my friend and colleague, Paul, reviewed it here:
http://www.horrorafterdark.com/2015/08/review-goblins-by-david-bernstein/


This book was a lot of fun! Just looking at that cover, you know you're going to be in for a good time. The goblins in the book are a LOT scarier than that rather tame fellow you're looking at now.

The best way to describe this book is B-Movie fun. We've got our historical setting-Roanoke Island. (Best remembered for its colony of missing folk. Mr. Bernstein answers the age old question of whatever happened to them, and the answer is not pretty.) We have a group of children as targets. We have lots of gory, inventive deaths and a sheriff as a humble hero, just trying to save lives. All the B movie pieces are here, so let the fun begin!

My one problem with this story was the pacing. For the most part, we jumped from one gory scene to another, (which is fine,and what I expected and enjoyed most about the book, because these scenes were extremely creative and imaginative and I admire that!), but preceding just about every one of them was a bunch of background information. To me, this slowed down the action. I normally like well developed characters, but in a Creature Feature type of book, not so much. I felt like I was wasting time learning about them because they were just going to die anyway. Other than that rather small irritation, this book was a boatload of fun!

Recommended to fans of Creature Features and B Grade Movies!

*I received a free e-copy of Goblins in exchange for an honest review. This is it.*

3.5 stars!

David Bernstein has written a surprising number of stories for such a young man. (At least, he looks young.) I have enjoyed all that I've read so far, and this book is no exception.

This is a short collection, so it didn't take me long to make my way through. I liked the fact that the tales all varied wildly from one to the next; I never knew in what direction a story would take me.

My favorites have to be:

The Booglin: That's no ordinary booger stuck up there.

Invasion: And that's no ordinary cockroach that kid just picked up.

Bad Cutlery: It would be so nice to blame my failed meals on bad cutlery. Unfortunately, this knife does much worse than destroy meals.

STD: A lot of the stories in Mixed Bag of Blood had a serious EWWW factor, but I believe this one was the EWWWIEST. Of course, I was laughing my butt off while reading it.

Overall, this collection was above average. I read, and have read, a LOT of story collections over the years, and as such, it takes a LOT to impress me in the short fiction department. The tales I mentioned above were excellent, but not quite enough to bring this up to a 4 or 5 star rating for me. However, if what I've written above sounds interesting to you, then I recommend giving this collection a shot, because your mileage may vary.

Recommended to those with strong stomachs who are also fans of short horror stories!

*Thanks to Sinister Grin for providing me with a free e-copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. This is it!*

Review copy

As much as I want to, I just can't give this novella 5 stars. It's not Gone With the Wind, it's not The Stand, it's not even 2001: A Space odyssey.

Retch! is a wild story of sex, accidental death, witchcraft, revenge, and gross-out horror beyond your wildest imagination.

Brian "was a good-looking, twenty-nine-year-old, single man who at times grew bored with how easy life had begun." Trust me, that was all about to go away.

When he accidentally kills his date after she vomits on him, his life changes dramatically.

A word of advice, if you decide to read Retch! be sure to check your disbelief at the door. Witchcraft, taking rats and spiders, it all gets a bit silly, but it certainly is a lot of fun. If you've been reading a lot of heavier fiction, the kind of stuff that taxes the brain, this could be just the thing to clear your mental palate.

True, it's bloody disgusting, but sometimes that can be a good thing. Truth be told, I was ready to bring up my lunch more than once while reading this book. I don't get grossed out easily, but author David Bernstein was pretty effective at pushing all my buttons this time.

This book will not be for everyone, but if you don't mind hardcore sex mixed with gross-out horror, have I got a read for you.

Published by Bizarro Pulp Press, Retch! is available in both paperback and e-book formats.

From the author's bio - David Bernstein is originally from a small town in upstate New York, but now resides in NYC and misses being surrounded by chainsaw-wielding maniacs and wild backwoods people who like to eat human flesh. He's grown used to the city, though hiding bodies is much harder there.

Review Copy

I've read several works by David Bernstein in the last few years and I've mentioned once or twice that no one is safe in one of his stories. It's nice to know I'm not alone in this observation. Author Kristopher Rufty echoes that sentiment in his Introduction to A Mixed Bag of Blood, saying "Nothing, or no one, is safe in Dave's worlds."

There are some very good stories in this new collection of ten horror tales from a writer who knows how to push all of my buttons, scary, gory, gross, and at times humorous.

The Trojan Plushy - The collection starts with a tale of sweet revenge. When the man responsible for the death of Brad Raling's wife and daughter gets off on a technicality, he reaches out to a witch seeking vengeance.

The Booglin - A delightfully disgusting tale of an intelligent booger. Dave's imagination was working overtime on this one.

Eaten Un-Alive - A thoroughly enjoyable "what if?" story of what happens when the zombie apocalypse dries up the food supply for vampires.

It's Nice Not To Have To Share - A special set of twin sisters who share everything...until.

Invasion - The aliens are here and they plan to use cockroaches to get rid of humankind. This one is exceptionally gross. "Hundreds of cockroaches scurried out of, and across, his body. His left eye tickled from within, as if someone were brushing it with a feather. Immense pressure built behind the eyeball before it burst like a water balloon, the glutinous fluids inside running down his face, a cockroach crawling free."

Samurai Zombie Killer - The title says all you need to know about this unusual take on the zombie mythos.

Small Town, Big Trouble - A small town is terrorized for years by a bigfoot like creature. When the town guardians decide to take action, lookout for the twist.

Bad Cutlery - Knives don't kill people, people kill people, but knives can certainly talk them into doing the deed.

Potty Mouth - Peter has a bit of a potty mouth and his mother, who happens to be a witch, has had it. You won't believe the punishment she comes up with in this stomach turning gem.

STD - Not for the easily offended and certainly not for the kids. This cringe-worthy story was enough to cause me to consider a life of celibacy.

If you like to be grossed out by your horror and don't mind suspending your disbelief for a few hours, I'm pretty sure you'll enjoy this demented collection of horror from David Bernstein as much as I did.

A Mixed Bag of Blood is available now in both e-book and paperback from Sinister Grin Press. If you subscribe to Kindle Unlimited you can read this one at no additional charge and if you are an Amazon Prime member you can borrow the book for FREE from the Kindle Owners Lending Library.

Recommended.

David Bernstein is originally from a small town in Upstate New York. He now resides in NYC and misses being surrounded by chainsaw-wielding maniacs. David writes all kinds of horror, from hair-raising ghost stories to gore-filled slashers and apocalyptic tales of terror.

Surrogate is a twisted, calculated, dark thriller that has a science fiction sprinkled in. It starts off with an opening that is guaranteed to grab your attention and the book remains fast paced until the end. Emotions run high and are portrayed well even though the book moves fast.

The characters are pretty well developed. Typically I prefer books to be written in 1st person, but this book is a great example of when 3rd person should be used. David Bernstein does a great job of conveying the effects of events on multiple characters by using 3rd person. Emotions are conveyed through action a lot in this book, which gives you a really good feel for the characters.

There is a science fiction feel for the majority of the book with the idea of cloning, and then it kind of takes a weird turn when Jane's soul jumps into a cloned body. This book could have remained a horror novel without the soul jumping weirdness. That whole aspect was what brought the book down in my opinion.

I feel like parts of this book were anti-climatic and could have been done a lot better. The ideas were great, but they weren't executed all that well. It was half science fiction, half horror novel, and half drama... that doesn't seem to add up does it? Exactly my point, they tried to shove too many genres into one book.

Each aspect could have been done great. It got really graphic at times, and that could have made for a great horror book. The character Jane had an interesting back story, so that could have made a great drama. The idea to have a clone grow a baby was a great idea for a science fiction book. But all of it mashed together in this short book was just a little much. This book aimed really high and fell short for me.

A couple of friends on their way to spend the weekend together, a creepy gas station on their way, a car accident that leaves them stranded in the middle of nowhere in the deep winter, an evil force out for blood... Sounds familiar? Yep, that's what I thought as well, and for the most time of the book I couldn't shake the feeling I've already read a book or watched a movie about the story going on here. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy a rerun of a well-tried plot every time, as long as it has some unique parts. With Skinner, I found this uniqueness solely in the Old One.

Unlike your common monster, he did not attack his victims himself, but made them do all the work on their own - and in a very hideous way. Seeing their friendship coming apart, how instead of fighting together against the Old One they ended up fighting each other was unusual and unexpected.

While the characters were all very stereotyped, at least the Old One was special and gave the book its much-needed originality to set it apart from similar stories. Nice and nasty, especially towards the end.

(I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review)

Review copy

David Berstein makes his home in NYC and is likely hard at work on his next novel. David writes all kinds of horror, from hair-raising ghost stories to gore-filled slashers to adventure-filled apocalyptic tales of terror. Recent works include The Unhinged, Witch Island, and Apartment 7C.

His latest book, Goblins, is a genuine monster fest featuring...are you ready for it? GOBLINS. I don't think you can call that a spoiler since it's the title and there's a nice picture of one right there on the cover.

From the opening page of this book, I knew I was in for a treat and Bernstein did not disappoint. Of course, this is one of those stories which requires the reader to suspend their disbelief, but if you can do that and you love gruesome, over-the-top horror then be ready for a wonderfully disgusting read.

If you were paying attention in middle school history, you may remember the story of The Lost Colony of Roanoke Island. Over thirty years before the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock, a group of 117 weary men, women and children waded ashore and made history on Roanoke Island in July 1587, establishing the first permanent settlement of its kind in the Americas. Shortly after arriving John White departed for England promising to return with more supplies. It was the last time he would ever see his family. He returned three years later only to find the settlement deserted, plundered and surrounded by overgrown brush. On one of the palisades, he found the single word "CROATOAN" carved into the surface. To this day, the mystery remains unsolved, but David Bernstein has some ideas on the matter.

Filled with stomach-churning prose that should not be read during or shortly following mealtime, Goblins contains numerous visceral images. The stuff nightmares are made of. And once again try not to get attached to any of the characters in the story. It's like everyone in a David Bernstein novel has a wardrobe loaded with red shirts.

Published by Samhain horror, Goblins is available in both paperback and e-book formats.

Totally recommended.

Review copy

The last time I reviewed a David Bernstein book, Toxic Behemoth, I commented "NO ONE IS SAFE IN A DAVID BERNSTEIN BOOK." That is certainly true in his latest novel from Darkfuse, Skinner.

From the opening words...

"The sky was mean-looking, ominous and dark, like a crinkled piece of carbon paper. There hadn't been a storm in the forecast. Golf-ball-sized snowflakes were coming down as if a pillow fight were taking place in the heavens above."

In other words, "It was a dark and stormy night." And you just know that means trouble. What follows is a pulse-pounding story of six friends who become isolated in a surprise snowstorm. Two questions come to mind in a story such a this, who will survive and just how will they meet their fates.

What awaits this group requires the suspension of disbelieve in a big way. If you can do that, you're in for a treat. Bernstein is a gifted story teller, even if he does take the reader well off the beaten track in this one.

Skinner will be available in both paperback and e-book formats on June, 21st, 2015. Published by Darkfuse, you can read this one at no additional charge if you subscribe to Kindle Unlimited. Also, if you are an Amazon Prime member you can read this one for FREE as your monthly selection from the Kindle Owners Lending Library.

Recommended.

***Review Copy***

Read this book in a few hours it was entertaining. Very gory, slightly unbelievable and fast paced. Overall a good scary read.

Eighty-two year old Beth Barker can hear the cop in 7C beating his wife. Her daughter Alice, killed 50 years ago by an abusive husband, visits Beth in her dreams. Or are they dreams? Whether dreams or visitations, Alice tells Mom something must be done. Blood must be shed.

How an elderly woman takes on a 250-pound police detective is the story the author spins in this extended short story. It’s not long enough to be called anything else.

Bernstein, known for his dark horror stories, quietly guides us towards Beth’s conclusion that sometimes we just need to take matters into our own hands.

Not recommended for the faint of heart. Start it only when there is enough light left in the day to finish it before darkness descends.

Review based on a copy provided by the publisher.

Review copy

5 stars? Damn right. Not because it's great literature , but because it knows exactly what it's supposed to be, and is flat out fun.

Michael's been a hit man for the mob for a long time. He's good at his job and he's careful about getting rid of the body and the murder weapon after every job. When the boss's son, Vinny, asks for the gun used in the most recent hit saying he'll take care of getting rid of it, he has second thoughts, but hey, it's the big guy's son. Bad move. Vinny sets him up. The only way to escape serious jail time is by ratting out Vinny. It doesn't go well.

The mob related portion of the story is totally believable, brutal, and becomes very bloody. I've come to the realization that NO ONE IS SAFE IN A DAVID BERNSTEIN BOOK. I'm not going to go into how we get to the Toxic Behemoth. That would be way to much of a spoiler, better to let you discover this on your own. It takes some serious suspension of disbelief, but it's worth it. What follows is exactly what you look for in a kaiju story.

For example, "The cruise linee tilted at a steep angle. Timmy's dad hadn't been holding on to anything and went flying over the railing. Timmy's mother cried out, her voice the loudest Timmy had ever heard it. She fruitlessly reached over the railing, but her husband was already gone, rocketing toward the ocean and screaming the entire way. Then, just before he hit the water, a tentacle snatched him out of the air. The force must've been too much, because his dad's body was cut in half. Blood gushed. Timmy's dad's upper body was quickly entangled again by the tentacle. The man's legs and waist splashed into the water. but a moment later, the large chunk of meat was snatched up by another tentacle. Both pieces where brought to the monster's torso area, where the slithering winged serpents tore at the meat."

Once the action starts, it doesn't let up. If you're susceptible to nightmares, consider yourself warned. Toxic Behemoth is the stuff nightmares are made of. Uber violence with just a touch of humor to ease the tension.

At the rate he's going, it won't belong before David Bernstein writes a novel where one of his characters just kills everyone on the planet.

If you're looking for a quick read that won't tax your brain and has a healthy dose of mayhem, Toxic behemoth could be the book you're looking for.

Available now as a Kindle download from Amazon.com and if you subscribe to Kindle Unlimited you can get it at no additional charge.

First, I will say I won this book.

I thought it was a good horror book that I enjoyed reading.

First, I will say I won this book.

I thought it was a good horror book that I enjoyed reading.

Review Copy

Apartment 7C is a quick read about 82 year-old Beth Baker whose daughter, Alice, was killed, years ago, by her abusive husband.

When Beth moves into a new apartment and recognizes a similar pattern with her new neighbors, she is moved to take matters into her own hands.

Apartment 7C got off to a somewhat slow start for me and at one point I thought this was just going to be a story about the horrors of spousal abuse. Granted that subject matter, in itself, is horrifying and it's difficult to comprehend why someone would continue to remain in such a situation. The author does a nice job of explaining why Carl Baker's wife, Marcey, stays. She truly is without options.

But, Apartment 7C is about more than spousal abuse. It's about being haunted by your past and taking steps to provide justice when there's no other way.

Once the decision is made, what follows are a series of gut-wrenching scenes with truly disturbing images and OMG, just when you think it's enough, there's more.

There may be something wrong with me, but when I finished Apartment 7C I felt satisfied. Justice had been served.

Apartment 7C is available now from Samhain Horror.

Not for the faint of heart, but I can highly recommend this one.

This book is about greed and how it effects each person that finds the briefcase. The briefcase was stolen and each new person that opens it finds something different. Each new finder discovers how evil the briefcase is but by then it is to late. The storyline is okay the characters could have been better but all in all it is an okay book,

I received this book in return for an honest review*****

Relic Of Death is a brilliantly conceived and executed horror novella. Many times a novella will leave me wanting more on some level. More story, more character development, more of something. Relic Of Death is perfect, just where it is.

It's difficult to give a story synopsis without revealing too much. As you can tell from the beautiful cover (Darfuse always has exceptional covers), it has something to do with a mystical suitcase.

The story is told through a series of vignettes as the object changes hands violently over time. Before it all becomes too repetitious, Bernstein reveals the truth about the Relic Of Death and gives the tale some closure, for now.

This is my first time reading David Bernstein, it certainly won't be my last. With clear, crisp prose, he delivers page after page just what the story calls for. No fluff, no wasted words.

Relic Of Death is another winning entry in the Darkfuse novella series. My bookclub membership is the best money I've ever spent with a small press.

Official release date is June 24, 2014. Relic Of Death will be available in a variety of formats and if you have an Amazon Prime membership you can read it for FREE through the Kindle Owners Lending Library.

Highly recommended!

"Warlocks, witches, spiderlike familiars, and the ghosts of the evil dead... pit them all against a kid with a stolen shotgun and you've got a helluva dark ride! Creepy as Hell! Bernstein has crafted a Grimm's Fairy Tale for the modern age."

-John Everson, author of NightWhere and Violet Eyes

"My only complaint about The Tree Man? It ended. David Bernstein has written a chill-soaked masterpiece that stole my sleep. He's proven to be a true master of horror!"

--Kristopher Rufty, author of The Lurkers and Oak Hollow.

Story is fairly interesting until about 3/4th though, where the author gives too much attention to Elise who doesn't matter to the story at all (and detracts even more from the main characters lack of chemistry) and also gives more history for Paul than is necessary. Plus at this point the characters and story are kind of at a standstill. Once you get past that the ending is decent.