The Siren of Groves Peak by Glenn Rolfe - Be careful what you wish for

I love "Monkey's Paw/Be careful of the bargains you strike" stories and this book fills the bill. A story of a lobstering town's desperation and later, greed, and the secrets that lead to the downfall of everyone involved. We know the responsible party right at the outset, but the methodical deaths slowly begin to reveal the one secret that damns them all. This is not just a horror story of gory deaths. It's a statement on how a person's greed and hunger for power will eventually come back to haunt them. In other words, karma is a bitch.

I am a long-time fan of Glenn Rolfe's books. This is one of his best. I definitely recommend it to anyone who enjoys the type of story I mentioned above, and folk horror in general.

My reviews of Rolfe's other works:

August's Eyes

Chasing Ghosts

Things We Fear

Blood and Rain

Boom Town

About the book

Groves Peak, Maine is home to a dark secret. The successful lobstering community is ready for summer, but a murder at sea changes everything. People are dying in the small coastal town, and the lobstermen are on edge.

Only one man knows the truth. His closet of skeletons is about to open, and no one is safe. Not even his daughter or her best friend. As a supernatural fury, homegrown dangers, and buried secrets coalesce into a series of real-life nightmares, friendships are tested, and heroes will fall. The Siren of Groves Peak reveals the true monsters in us all.

Advance praise
"Horror hits like a hurricane in this creature-feature masterfully layered with terror, dread, and scares so jarring they just might leave you seasick without ever leaving land." — Nick Medina, author of The Whistler and Indian Burial Ground

"A rising star in the genre. Highly recommended!" — Ronald Malfi, author of December Park and Senseless

"Rolfe is the real deal, folks, and anything he writes is well worth checking out."
– Gord Rollo, author of The Jigsaw Man and The Crucifixion Experiments

"An intense tale reminiscent of classic works by Jack Ketchum or Stephen King"
– Booklist

Releases June 30, 2026

Preorder: Amazon

Marla by Jonathan Janz - You might see her in your nightmares

I've wanted to read Marla since its limited edition was published in 2022. Unfortunately at the time I was unable to get in on the limited release. Fast forward to 2026 and Marla is being published by Blackstone Publishing, and in development for television (read the full article here). As I was reading, I was thinking it would be great on the screen. This is exciting news!

I'm a big fan of Janz's work and Marla has joined the ranks. Creepy and atmospheric, it's easy to feel the fear the town of King's Branch is experiencing. The deaths are piling up and all of the victims show signs of dying from terror. One cop suspects Marla, but how can a recluse be at all these places, let alone have the strength needed, as evidenced by at least a few of the deaths? There is a good mystery entwined with the horror. What is the motivation and who is behind it all? 

Don't get too attached to anyone...there is no holding back on who dies, which is hard because Janz has a talent for endearing us to the characters. 

Whether Marla is at the bottom of it or not (I'm not telling), she certainly is a creepy character. Staring out the window with a horrific leer that I found myself comparing to the "creatures" in the FROM series, or those unhinged smiles in the SMILE films. Oh, and there's gore, especially closer to the end. The final instance is quite shocking and oddly satisfying. 

This was definitely a page turner. It will fill you with dread, and you just might see Marla in your nightmares. 

My reviews of Janz's other works:

Children of the Dark

Children of the Dark 2: The Night Flyers

The Dark Game

Wolf Land

About the book

From beloved horror author Jonathan Janz, Marla is a slow-burn, full-throttle horror novel about the families we inherit, the guilt we carry, and the terrible gravity of a gaze you can’t forget. Turn the page—if you dare.

Every small town has ghosts. King’s Branch has Marla.

A reclusive young woman who lives with her mother in a creepy Gothic house, Marla Gorman is the stuff of urban legends. Some believe she’s a prisoner. Others claim she’s a witch.

The evening of the first murder, Detective Carl Lancaster sees Marla leering at him from her bedroom window. He sees her again at the exact moment a second man is killed. And though Marla was nowhere near either murder site, Carl is convinced she’s connected to the crimes.

To Carl, Marla is a menace. To social worker Annie Frost, Marla bears a bizarre connection to her past. To Dylan Ellison, a struggling college student, Marla might be the companion for whom he’s been longing.

But none of them understands Marla’s true nature. She’s about to plunge them—and everyone in King’s Branch—into an unspeakable nightmare. And teach them the true meaning of terror.

2026 I Read Horror Year-Round Challenge - First Quarter Check-In

I apologize for being so late with this update! I've been in such a funk, both in reading and life in general. Too much going on in the world. It's overwhelming and really starting to wear me down. You will see how bad of a funk I'm in below. 

How did the first quarter go for you?

I'm doing the Chilling level which is 12 books in a year. Plus, I'm going to try to do the Complete the Word Bonus Challenge. I picked FRIGHT since it has an H - Hell Bent by Leigh Bardugo. Here's how it's going so far...

• Winter - set in winter or snow on the cover or winter in the title
• Epistolary horror - found footage, told in letters and/or diaries
• Cult and/or ritual
• Haunted house
• Full moon and/or woods on the cover
• Indigenous, Asian, or Latino author
• Pumpkins/Jack O' Lanterns on the cover
• Black author
• Book published in the 60's, 70's, or 80's
• Social justice horror
• Yule/Christmas holiday themed
• Whatever scares you the most 
  Marla, Jonathan Janz (creepy...creepy scares me the most. lol)

F

R

I 

G

H - Hell Bent, Leigh Bardugo

T

So, as you can see, I'm not doing great. I am hoping I can turn things around starting this month. Wish me luck! Next up for me is The Siren of Groves Peak by Glenn Rolfe. It probably won't fit the challenge though. Oh well.

I keep track of my yearly challenges over on my sister site, True Book Addict. There's a link to my 2026
challenge page in the menu above.

I hope you're enjoying your horrific reading! Share your progress in the comments (update, links to posts/reviews, etc.)...

Thanks for bearing with me! Wishing you terrifying reading. 

2025 I Read Horror Year-Round Challenge - Wrap-up

Year five complete! I was able to complete the Chilling level (12 books), and while I did not get a Bingo (or the coverall I was going for), I did manage to read a few Cryptid books. Here's what I read...

• Vampires - The Vampire Armand, Anne Rice
• Witches - Rosemary's Baby, Ira Levin
• Folk Horror - Pine, Francine Toon
• Written by a BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) author - The Hacienda, Isabel Canas
• A Ghost Story - Humbug, Luciano Marano
• Written by a female author - Diavola, Jennifer Marie Thorne
• Cosmic Horror - Annihilation, Jeff Vandermeer
• Frightening Cover - All the Fiends of Hell, Adam Nevill
• Adapted as movie/series - The Picture of Dorian Gray, Oscar Wilde
• Katsu, Ketchum, King, or Koontz - Holly, Stephen King
• Black, gray, orange, or red cover - Horseman, Christina Henry
• Book featuring a Cryptid (mark off one BINGO square!) - The Dover Demon, Hunter Shea

Besides the Cryptid book above, I also read Loch Ness Revenge by Hunter Shea and Rogue (Bigfoot) by Luke Phillips.

How about you? Share your wrap-up in the comments, or link to a wrap-up post on your blog (or social media, shelf on Goodreads, etc.).

In case you missed it, sign-up for I Read Horror YR 2026 is open. This year I've added a fun (optional) Complete the Word challenge. Here's the link to the post. I hope you will join me again!