I can't believe this challenge is over! Although I didn't have much time to participate in other Perils, but I was glad I have completed Peril the First (which is to read four books of any length from any subgenre of scary stories).

Here are the books which I have completed:

Thanks to Carl for hosting this exciting challenge!

ISBN-13: 9780843952407
Publisher: Leisure Books, 371pp
Pub. Date: September 2003


I have never read anything by Graham Masterton, but I read a review on this book somewhere and was intrigued by the plot, so I decided to read it. Also, this is my pick and the last book I read for the R.I.P II Challenge which will end in October. I cannot believe that I have finally completed the list!

The Doorkeepers is a creepy read in my opinion. Julia Winward thought she has found a great job, but she never expected it would be the last day of her life when her boss asked her to go with him to meet a client after work one evening. She was brutally mutilated and her body was tossed in the Thames river. The police didn't have a clue about the murder and its motive, but one thing they were sure of was this wasn't the first case they had encountered.

When Josh heard that her sister was murdered, he was determined to find out what had happened to her. So together with his girlfriend, Nancy, they left for London. But instead of finding answers, they came up with more questions. For example, the company where Julia worked and the place where she used to stay didn't exist. Later, they met one of Julia's friend, Ella who also happens to be a psychic. Together with Ella's help and some clues of a nursery rhyme left by an elderly woman they met by chance, they then found a doorway which leads to the other dimension, where Oliver Cromwell was the patron saint and they had to escape from the dreaded hooded men who would take down people who came uninvited to their world. But what most terrifying was this place was also where Julia was first murdered.

This book was a page-turner to me. The story is intriguing and it just gets better especially the part where Josh and Nancy had gone to the other dimension to look for Julia. I find it very creepy about that scene and often wonder if there is such a thing in reality.

ISBN-13: 9780060898915
Pub. Date: February 2007
Format: Paperback, 464pp
Publisher: Eos
Series: Signs of the Zodiac Series, #1




With the paranormal genre flooding the market lately, I'm just glad that Vicki Pettersson's debut doesn't disappoint. She has a unique voice (not to mention an original plot and the beginning of a great new series) that stands out from the other authors.

The heroine, Joanna Archer escaped the hands of death during a brutal assault when she was sixteen. She then learnt martial arts in the following years, and telling herself she would not let anything hurt her again. But trouble seems to find her anyway, and now she has to force herself to shed away her old self and take on another in the form of a member of the Zodiac of Light, after when her blind date nearly have her killed and that she sees her sister dead before her eyes. Thus it begins Joanna's adventure where we see her defeating their villian, the Shadow Zodiac with the team.

But Joanna is more than what she seems, for she is born of equal parts Shadow and Light. And she has to prove to herself, as well to her other members that she will save the city from further destruction.

This story is emotionally charged and fast paced. I am sure readers of Laurell K Hamilton or Kim Harrison will like this new series.

ISBN: 0451212800
Pub. Date: September 2004
Format: Mass Market Paperback, 400pp
Publisher: Penguin Group (USA)


The Resort is one creepy read, if you are into haunted houses that is. This horror story begins when the Thurman family checked into the exclusive resort - The Reata, which is located in the isolated Arizona desert; nonetheless this resort is often patronized by the rich. Lowell Thurman chosen this resort is because he wants to get away from meeting his old friends for an after school reunion. It appears most of his friends all hold a better career than him and he hates being compared with. Another thing is the resort offers discounted off-season rates in the summertime that they can't turn it down. So they booked a five-night stay at the resort, thinking they will have the perfect vacation in their life.

Their nightmares first begin when they found a strange intruder occupying one of their rooms. They managed to get their rooms changed, but then more strange things followed thereafter. Lowell's wife, Rachel thinks she sees an evil face in the clouds. Their three teenaged sons (Owen, Curtis and Ryan) think they see a dead body at the outdoor pool although they convinced themselves it is only the shadow that is playing tricks on their eyes. And Lowell feels a hand grabbing him when he is swimming at the indoor pool. But what most puzzling is the resort's activities coordinator 'coaxing' them into joining various sports games and he seems not to take no for an answer, claiming that it is a great way for their guests to break the ice and have some fun while getting to know one another.

When David (a boy whom the three sons befriended at the resort) told them he had caught his parents engaging in a bizarre game with some other guests (i.e. the wives being tied onto a post while their husbands hit them with a golf ball), they feel something isn't quite right. And this further adds in to their suspicions when they stumble upon an abandoned ruined resort not faraway later.

I could easily visualize this as a great horror movie material (however, I would rate this a 'PG' since there is a mild sexual element and a few gross scenes in the story). I cringe and find it a little disturbing when I read the parts whereby the guests engaged in sexual games as their minds are being taken over by the evil. Nevertheless, The Resort is highly entertaining and there are times I feel like I am taking a roller coaster ride.

ISBN: 006125309X
Pub. Date: April 2007
Format: Paperback, 304pp
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers

I have chosen this book for the R.I.P. II Challenge (which stands for Readers Imbibing Peril) hosted by Carl of Stainless Steel Droppings. I am really looking forward to reading the other books for the various reading challenges.


The Exterminator's Daughter by Meg Cabot
Rating: 4 stars

Mary is on a mission to take down Sebastian Drake, for he is no ordinary human but a vampire. And what's more, she wants to make sure Drake is keeping a distance from her best friend, who seems to be "smitten" by him with his charms.

So she shows up at a club looking for Drake, but things didn't go well for her. Fortunately a fellow student at Saint Eligius saves her from committing something foolish. Although Mary is pissed off for not getting her aim, she is grateful that Adam saves her life. She begins to take notice of him, and wonders how on earth she has missed him in the first place.

The Corsage by Lauren Myracle
Rating: 3.5 stars

This is probably one of the creepiest tales I read amongst this anthology.

Frankie wants Will to take her to the prom. So she drags him and her best friend, Yun Sun to visit a fortune teller. She is hoping Madame Zanzibar will proclaim Will as her one true love so to make Will aware of their "destiny". But Madame Z didn't answer to Frankie's request, until her eyes rest upon an old and crumpled corsage which Madame Z desperately tried to hide. Frankie and the rest don't take no for an answer, Madame Z has no choice but to give in, telling them it would grant them three wishes but they have to be careful what they wished for. They dismissed it as a joke, but Frankie decides to try it on herself and asked for a date from Will. She got her wish, but the outcome is not what she has hoped for.

Madison Avery and The Dim Reaper by Kim Harrison
Rating: 4.5 stars

Madison isn't happy with her date at the prom. She thinks Josh is a jerk, and he asked her because of her father. She is thinking of leaving the prom without Josh when she stumbles upon a mysterious stranger who comes to her rescue. Madison hasn't never seen Seth around, but she has never met anyone like Seth and moreover she wants to spite Josh.

Unfortunately, Seth turns out to be a black reaper and he is there to take her life. Soon Madison meets more than one reaper, and Barnadas being one of them (although he is not a black reaper). Madison will have to stick around Barnadas no matter she likes it or not for he is designated to be her guardian angel.

I enjoyed reading this and am hoping that Kim Harrison will write a full length story on this.

Kiss and Tell by Michele Jaffe
Rating: 4 stars

Although this is my least favourite story amongst all, the good thing is the author has created engaging characters and their dialogues are witty which I find it highly entertaining. I also like the twist of outcome towards the end of the story.

Miranda is not your ordinary student. She is also a part-time driver (or chauffeur?) and she likes to do justice whenever she can help it. By the way, she has the ability of hearing things at a distance, and she thinks she is responsible for protecting Sibby when chauffeuring her. Sibby is opposites of Miranda; she loves fun and she adores boys. Then, bad things start happening and Miranda has to save not only Sibby but herself.

Hell On Earth by Stephenie Meyer
Rating: 4 stars

I admit I bought this book because of Kim Harrison and Stephenie Meyer. Stephenie Meyer has written a wonderful debut in Twilight that has got me hooked to the series, so I am very curious to know what she has written in this story.

Unlike the Twilight series (which has vampires and werewolves in them), Hell On Earth is about angels and demons. Sheba is the new girl in school, and a demon who loves to bring misery to others. So on the prom night, she created chaos to everyone. From ripping of the girls' dresses to romances turning ugly, she felt a sense of accomplishment every time she did something until she meets Gabe. And she doesn't understand why Gabe appears unaffected by the chaotic scenes around him. Feeling curious about him, she tries to figure him out but by the time she knows what he is, everything is too late for her.

I like the ending in this story. And I love, love reading stories with angels and demons in it. Overall this is a great anthology, I am glad I picked this up.