All Red & Black // May 2025
I only read two books this month, both sporting red & black covers. A theme I could have carried on with if I had the time, but this past month has just gotten away from me. June has also gotten away from me, and I am so sorry this is going up so late.
May Wrap-Up
My goal for May was to read more murder books. Which I did, but not in the way I thought I would. The two books I read were…
Little Red Death by A. K. Benedict
Synopsis: “Detective Inspector Lyla Rondell is hunting a killer whose crimes bear an eerie resemblance to twisted versions of well-known fairy tales. With the media dubbing them the “Grimm Ripper Murders,” pressure mounts as each new crime scene adds to the mystery. As Lyla delves deeper, reality begins to blur, and the lines between fiction and truth start to unravel. In a world where stories might be more than just stories, Lyla must confront the impossible, challenge what she believes to be real, and write her own ending—before the killer writes it for her. A dark, imaginative twist on the tales you thought you knew.”
Little Red Death is a hard book to explain without giving too much away. But if you’ve read the synopsis, you’ll know this isn’t your typical fairy tale.
What surprised me most was the way the story blended dual timelines and a fantastical element I wasn’t fully expecting, despite the clear fairy tale thread. The author delivers a sharp and inventive narrative, and while character development is often a focus in fiction, here we also get a fascinating evolution of “the writer” themselves. Something I didn’t see coming.
My only issue was that the pacing, while fast and full of momentum, made the timeline and scene transitions feel a bit abrupt at times. Still, it’s a clever, and memorable read. 4 Stars.
When The Wolf Come Homes by Nat Cassidy
Synopsis: “When Jess, a struggling actress, discovers a terrified five-year-old boy hiding near her apartment, she makes a split-second decision that changes everything. What begins as an act of protection quickly spirals into a harrowing chase, with a dangerous man on their trail and a series of chilling, violent events unfolding in their wake. As Jess tries to keep them both safe, she realises the horrors they face may not be entirely of this world. Reality twists into something darker and more surreal, and the deeper they run, the closer an ancient terror draws. Because when the wolf comes home… no one is safe.”
My favourite horror read of the year, hands down. When the Wolf Comes Home completely blew me away. I picked it up for Gabby from Gabbyreads Book Troop book club and honestly? One of the best book club choices I’ve ever read.
It’s a very gory read…more than I’d usually reach for. But I was absolutely gripped from the start. The emotion running through it, the heartbreak surrounding the little boy, the twist (!!!) near the end…I was a mess. I cried.
Nat Cassidy’s writing is just something else. His author’s note at the end? Gut-wrenching in the best way. It ties so beautifully to the themes of the story and the emotional weight of the characters. It really hit me hard.
And the little nostalgic nods sprinkled throughout? Loved. If you’re into horror that knows how to cut deep (in more ways than one), I can’t recommend this enough. 5 Stars.
May’s Reading Stats
Putting all these books into TheStoryGraph app, I found…
I read 2 books!
A total of 704 pages…
100% of the books read were fiction, and genre-wise, Horror, Mystery and Thriller tied.
My average rating for the month was 4.5.
I think it is apparent I struggled this past month to read, but teo great reads ratings wise.
As always, I read all my books in print. I am definitely running out of space. But that didn’t stop me when it came to May’s haul…
May’s Book Haul
It was my birthday month, so I treated myself…
- Life’s Too Short by Abby Jimenez
- The Friend Zone by Abby Jimenez
- The Happy Ever After Playlist by Abby Jimenez
- The Unmaking of June Farrow by Adrienne Young
- The Blast From The Past by Lucy Score
- The Body In The Backyard by Lucy Score
- Fall Into Temptation by Lucy Score
- Riding The High by Paisley Hope
- Fall With Me by Becka Mack
- Out There Screaming: An Anthology of New Black Horror by Jordan Peele
- The Bachman Books by Stephen King
- Different Seasons by Stephen King
- Four Past Midnight by Stephen King
- Nightmare and Dreamscapes by Stephen King
- Skeleton Crew by Stephen King
- The Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot
- Girl, 11 by Amy Suiter Clarke
- The Love Wager by Lynn Painter
- Mr Wrong Number by Lynn Painter
- One Golden Summer by Carley Fortune
- Silver Elite by Dani Francis
- Never Flinch by Stephen King
- The Next Girl by Emiko Jean
And that is a wrap up on a short reading month with an unintentional red & black theme.
What did you read in May?
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As always, thanks for reading…
