Other Hailey Piper titles I’ve reviewed
Synopsis:
Margaret Willow has never met an eleven-year-old as dangerous as Natalie Glasgow. Natalie spends her days comatose, but at night she prowls her mother’s home, unnaturally strong and insatiably carnivorous. With doctors baffled, Natalie’s mother reaches out to Margaret, an expert in the supernatural. But even Margaret is mystified and terrified by Natalie’s condition. She’s dying, and before she dies, she might kill someone. Has a demon clawed its way inside an eleven-year-old girl? Or does the source of this nightmare lie with Natalie’s dead father?
A tight, tense novella, The Possession of Natalie Glasgow twists the exorcism tale at every turn down to its final grave confrontation.
Edition:
Kindle e-book (purchased)
My Thoughts:
I chose this book to also fall under the #LoHF February Readathon ‘Book with a great cover’ prompt (I know, I love the cover of all the books, don’t I… I can’t help it – I love cover art! Down with badly ‘shopped photos!), because it reminds me of the pulpy horror novels I read in my younger years (and am working on re-amassing in order to go back to reading because WTF was I thinking giving them all away the second-to-last-time I moved across the country?! The cover on this one is seriously gorgeous, though. I mean, take a second – scroll back up and just drink it in – I’ll wait.
Piper has a really strong talent for building tension, it seems. Clocking in at 111 pages, The Possession of Natalie Glasgow begins chipping away at your calm from the get-go, and never once lets up. Her writing is visceral and spare – there are no wasted words here. Every sentence is chosen for maximum impact, I think.
There was a foreboding here, a presence that lived in the space of a dead man, so obvious and disquieting that even a layman like Heather could feel it. It was obvious in the way she shuddered when the doors finished opening.
This is probably not quite going to be the story you’re expecting, but I promise, it’s fantastic. The unique story was a lot of fun – just like the cover reminds me of those pulpy horrors of the 70s and 80s, so too does the story. It’s a little bizarre, a lot scary, and immensely satisfying.
About the Author:
Hailey Piper is the author of horror novellas The Possession of Natalie Glasgow, An Invitation to Darkness, and Benny Rose, The Cannibal King. Her debut dark fantasy novel, The Verses of Aeg, will be published by Bronzeville Books in late 2020.
She grew up in a patch of haunted woods in North America that filled her imagination with ghosts and monsters. Now a writer of horror and dark fantasy, she does her own haunting with a clacking keyboard in the pre-dawn hours. In addition to the works listed on Goodreads, she’s a contributor to Planet Scumm, Blood Bath Literary Zine, and more.
Rating:
It was thoroughly surprising, well written, and lots of fun. I highly recommend. This is the only one of her novellas I’ve read so far, but immediately after reading this, I borrowed Benny Rose, the Cannibal King from the library – so I’ll be reporting back on that one later.
The Possession of Natalie Glasgow By Hailey Piper Self Published Horror ASIN: B07HDWLZSV Published July 24, 2019 E-book, Paperback 111 Pages Author's Website
I keep reading nothing but good about Hailey Piper and her work. As soon as I catch up, I plan to read everything she’s written. Great review ♥